Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

Education Committee

ESSB 5083

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Summary of Engrossed Substitute Bill

Provides that school districts must require a private nonprofit youth program to provide a statement of compliance with policies for sudden cardiac arrest awareness, in order to maintain immunity from liability for injuries to youth participating in an activity offered by the program on school property.
Requires the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) to develop an online pamphlet that provides youth athletes, their parents or guardians, and coaches with information about sudden cardiac arrest, and requires athletes and their parents or guardians to certify their review of the pamphlet annually.
Requires the WIAA to make available an existing online sudden cardiac arrest prevention program for coaches, and requires coaches to complete the program every three years.

Background:

Sudden Cardiac Arrest.

Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when an electrical disturbance disrupts heart function. Sudden cardiac arrest is a medical emergency; when the heart does not beat correctly, blood stops flowing to the brain and other vital organs. If not treated immediately with cardiopulmonary resuscitation, chest compressions, or defibrillator, sudden cardiac arrest often results in sudden cardiac death. Sudden cardiac arrest is different from a heart attack, which occurs when blood flow to a portion of the heart is blocked.

The American Heart Association (AHA) reports that sudden cardiac death is the leading nontraumatic cause of death among young athletes. The precise incidence of sudden cardiac death among high school athletes, for example, is unknown, but estimates range from 1 in 23,000 to 1 in 300,000. The AHA reports that sudden cardiac death of athletes can be caused by a variety of cardiovascular diseases, but is most commonly associated with congenital or acquired malformations. A longitudinal study of students 17 to 24 years of age participating in National Collegiate Athletic Association sports showed that the incidence of cardiac arrest tended to be higher among blacks than whites and higher among men than women.

Washington Interscholastic Activities Association.

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) is a private, nonprofit organization and rule-making body formed in 1905. It consists of nearly 800 member high schools and middle/junior high schools, both public and private, and is divided into nine geographic service districts. The WIAA staff administers policies, rules and regulations and provides other assistance and service to member schools.School District Limited Liability.

As a way to encourage school districts to allow youth programs to use district facilities, in 1999, the Legislature granted districts limited immunity from liability for injuries to youth participating in an activity offered by a private nonprofit group on school property. This immunity applies only if the private nonprofit group provides proof of accident and liability insurance to the school district before the first use of the school facilities and lasts as long as the insurance remains in effect. Beginning in 2009, to maintain immunity, districts also had to require that the private nonprofit provide a statement of compliance with policies for the management of concussion and head injury in youth sports.

Summary of Bill:

Statement of Compliance.

To maintain immunity from liability for injuries to youth participating in an activity offered by a private nonprofit group on school property, school districts must require the private nonprofit provide a statement of compliance with policies for sudden cardiac arrest awareness.

Online Pamphlet.

The WIAA must work with member school boards, a nonprofit organization that educates communities about sudden cardiac arrest in youth athletes, and the University of Washington Medicine Center (UWMC) for Sports Cardiology to develop and make available an online pamphlet that provides youth athletes, their parents or guardians, and coaches with information about sudden cardiac arrest. This pamphlet must be posted on the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction's website and include information on the nature, risk, symptoms and warning signs, prevention, and treatment of sudden cardiac arrest.

Annually, prior to participating in an interscholastic athletic activity, youth, and their parents or guardians, must sign and return a sudden cardiac arrest form stating that the online pamphlet was reviewed.

Online Prevention Program.

The WIAA must work with member school boards, an organization that provides educational training for safe participation in athletic activity, and the UWMC for Sports Cardiology to make available an existing online sudden cardiac arrest prevention program for coaches.

Every three years, prior to coaching an interscholastic athletic activity, coaches must complete the online sudden cardiac arrest prevention program, and provide a certificate of completion to the school.

Short Title.

The act may be known and cited as the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Act.