Title: An act relating to first aid classes for high school students.

Brief Description: Studying whether to require a class in first aid for high school graduation.

Sponsors: Senators Roach, McAuliffe, Schmidt and Rasmussen.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Early Learning, K-12 & Higher Education: 1/30/06, 2/1/06 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EARLY LEARNING, K-12 & HIGHER EDUCATION

Majority Report: Do pass.Signed by Senators McAuliffe, Chair; Pridemore, Vice Chair, Higher Education; Weinstein, Vice Chair, Early Learning & K-12; Schmidt, Ranking Minority Member; Berkey, Carrell, Delvin, Eide, Kohl-Welles, Pflug, Rasmussen, Rockefeller, Schoesler and Shin.

Staff: Ingrid Mungia (786-7423)

Background: The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction in the draft Essential Academic Learning Requirements recommends that school districts include emergency first aid skills in the ninth and tenth grade health and fitness curriculum.

Summary of Bill: The State Board of Education will review the need to have a first aid class as a high school graduation requirement. The Board will report its findings to the appropriate committees of the Legislature by December 1, 2007.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: This bill comes from an interest in homeland security and the needs we might have in the future for our general population to have certain skills they may not get in high school. I'm just asking if we can make this part of the high school curriculum. This bill is very important. It shows a commitment to getting our population ready for whatever emergency might happen.

Testimony Against: None.

Who Testified: PRO: Senator Roach, prime sponsor.