Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
Education Committee
ESB 5790
Brief Description: Concerning medical equipment in schools.
Sponsors: Senators Dhingra, Wellman, Kuderer, Nobles, Trudeau, Hunt, Fortunato, Hasegawa, Lovick, Salda?a, Stanford, Valdez, Van De Wege and Wilson, C..
Brief Summary of Engrossed Bill
  • Requires school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools, beginning in the 2026-27 school year, to have bleeding control equipment and one or more semiautomatic external defibrillators on each school campus.
Hearing Date: 2/15/24
Staff: Ethan Moreno (786-7386).
Background:

School districts and public schools are subject to numerous health and safety requirements, including obligations for district-adopted "safe school plans" that address emergency preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery, and provisions for the possession, use, and storage of medications to assist persons experiencing certain medical emergencies.
 
An automated external defibrillator (AED) is a medical device that analyzes the heart rhythm and delivers an electric shock to restore a person's heart rhythm to normal.  The features of AEDs vary, and they can be purchased as semiautomatic AEDs that require more user knowledge and control, or fully automatic AEDs that are more expensive, but require less knowledge for use.
 
State law includes requirements that persons with semiautomatic defibrillators must meet, including provisions related to use, maintenance and testing, and location notice for local emergency medical service organizations.  Additionally, a person who uses a defibrillator at the scene of an emergency is generally immune from civil liability for any personal injury resulting from the use of the defibrillator.
 
Legislation adopted in 2013 directed the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), in consultation with school districts and stakeholder groups, to develop guidance for a medical emergency response and AED program for high schools.  In developing the guidance, the OSPI, in consultation with the Department of Health, was directed to assist school districts and provide guidelines and advice for grants for the purchase of AEDs or donations of AEDs.
Summary of Bill:

Bleeding Control Equipment.
Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, each school district must, on each school campus, maintain and make available to school employees and volunteers, bleeding control equipment for use in a traumatic injury involving blood loss.
 
The bleeding control equipment, which must be stored in an easily accessible area of each school campus and inspected according to specified requirements, must include:

  • a tourniquet endorsed by or approved for use in battlefield trauma care by the United States Department of Defense Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care;
  • a compression bandage;
  • a bleeding control bandage;
  • latex-free gloves;
  • permanent markers;
  • scissors; and
  • instructional documents developed by the United States Department of Homeland Security, the American College of Surgeons, or a similar organization detailing methods to prevent blood loss following a traumatic event. 

 

In addition to the required items, schools may include other medical materials and equipment that:

  • are approved by local law enforcement or first responders;
  • can adequately treat a traumatic injury; and
  • can be stored with the readily available bleeding control equipment. 

 

School districts must have a minimum of two employees per school who have completed required training.  If a school has more than 1,000 students, it must have one trained employee per 500 students.
 
School districts may satisfy the training requirements by using in-person and online trainings produced by the United States Department of Homeland Security, the American College of Surgeons, or similar organizations. The training must include:

  • the proper application of pressure to stop bleeding;
  • the application of dressings and bandages;
  • other pressure techniques to control bleeding; and
  • the correct application of tourniquets.


Semiautomatic External Defibrillators.
Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, each school district must acquire and maintain at least one semiautomatic external defibrillator on each school campus.
 
The school district must comply with requirements governing defibrillators, including instructions on their use and maintenance, and notifying local emergency medical services organizations about the location of the defibrillator.
 
A person who uses a school district defibrillator at the scene of an emergency is immune from civil liability as provided in statute.
 
Applicability to Charter Schools and State-Tribal Education Compact Schools.
The requirements for school districts apply also to charter schools and state-tribal education compact schools.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.