Bill Text: NJ A4373 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Encourages public school teachers to hold current certification in emergency first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and use of automated external defibrillator.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-05-16 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee [A4373 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A4373-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman LINDA S. CARTER
District 22 (Somerset and Union)
Assemblywoman MARGIE DONLON, M.D.
District 11 (Monmouth)
Assemblywoman ELLEN J. PARK
District 37 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
Encourages public school teachers to hold current certification in emergency first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and use of automated external defibrillator.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning emergency first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation certification for public school teachers and supplementing chapter 40 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Legislature finds and declares that:
a. Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death and can happen to anyone at any time or place, including the school setting.
b. Although rare in young people, approximately 2,000 children and adolescents die each year of sudden cardiac arrest in the United States.
c. Many victims of cardiac arrest, including children, appear healthy with no known history of heart disease or other risk factors.
d. Immediately performing emergency response, such as using cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillator, can double or triple a victim's survival rates during a cardiac emergency.
e. Injuries and sudden illnesses that require first aid, including wounds, head and back injuries, broken bones, heat exhaustion, and shortness of breath, are common occurrences in schools.
f. Effective and immediate first aid treatment can stabilize injuries, reduce pain and discomfort, and help save lives.
g. A school nurse may not always be present on the scene of a medical emergency occurring at school. Encouraging teachers to be trained to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation or first aid, and the use of an automated external defibrillator in an emergency occurring at school can make all the difference in the time it takes for an ambulance to arrive.
h. According to the American Heart Association, nine in 10 people who get a shock from an automated external defibrillator within the first minute of cardiac arrest live and the chances of survival while waiting for emergency medical services during a cardiac emergency decreases by 10 percent every minute without cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
i. A teacher who voluntarily chooses to be trained in effectively administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation, first aid, and the use of an automated external defibrillator can save the life of a child, parent, teacher, or staff member.
j. It is therefore necessary and appropriate for the Legislature to strongly encourage public school teachers to hold a certification in emergency first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the use of an automated external defibrillator, and to be offered opportunities for certification, recognized for their commitment to protecting the safety of students, and receive a professional incentive for adding lifesavers to our schools and communities.
2. a. Every school district shall encourage teachers to hold a current certification in emergency first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the use of an automated external defibrillator from the American Red Cross, American Heart Association, or other training program recognized by the Department of Health.
b. The Department of Education shall provide teachers with opportunities to obtain certification pursuant to subsection a. of this section in both traditional and online formats.
c. In order to provide recognition of a teacher who voluntarily prioritizes the importance of life saving measures in the State's public schools, each school district shall award a certificate of commendation to a teacher who obtains certification pursuant to subsection a. of this section. Each school district shall post a list of the teachers who have been issued a certificate pursuant to this subsection on the district's Internet website.
d. A teacher may receive eight hours towards the annual professional development requirements established by the State Board of Education upon submitting proof of certification pursuant to subsection a. of this section or the certificate issued pursuant to subsection c. of this section.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill encourages public school teachers to hold a current certification in emergency first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the use of an automated external defibrillator from the American Red Cross, American Heart Association, or other training program recognized by the Department of Health. The Department of Education is required to provide teachers with opportunities to obtain certification in both traditional and online formats.
Additionally, the bill requires school districts to recognize teachers who voluntarily prioritize the importance of life saving measures in the State's public schools by awarding a certificate of commendation to a teacher who obtains certification. Each school district is required to post a list of all teachers certified in emergency first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the use of an automated external defibrillator on the district's Internet website.
The bill permits certified teachers to receive eight hours towards the annual professional development requirements established by the State Board of Education upon submitting proof of their certification or the certificate issued by the school district for obtaining certification.
Sudden cardiac arrest can occur at any time and can happen to anyone, including students, teachers, or parents at a school. Additionally, injuries and sudden illnesses that require emergency first aid treatment, such as broken bones, head and back injuries, and shortness of breath, are common occurrences in the school setting. Approximately 2,000 children and adolescents die each year of sudden cardiac arrest in the United States. Receiving immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation from a bystander for cardiac arrest can double or triple a victim's chance of survival, and effective first aid treatment can stabilize an emergency situation and save lives. Encouraging teachers to hold a current certification can help protect the health and safety of children, parents, and teachers in our schools, while also adding lifesavers to our communities.
