SENATE BILL REPORT
ESB 5790
As Passed Senate, January 31, 2024
Title: An act relating to bleeding control equipment in schools.
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 History:
Committee Activity: Early Learning & K-12 Education: 1/11/24, 1/17/24 [DP].
Floor Activity: Passed Senate: 1/31/24, 47-0.
Brief Summary of Engrossed Bill
  • Requires school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools to maintain and make available certain bleeding control equipment and acquire and maintain at least one semiautomatic external defibrillator on each school campus beginning in the 2026-27 school year.
  • Specifies that schools must have a certain number of employees trained to use the bleeding control equipment.
  • Directs school districts to comply with existing requirements regarding semiautomatic external defibrillators. 
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EARLY LEARNING & K-12 EDUCATION
Majority Report: Do pass.
Signed by Senators Wellman, Chair; Nobles, Vice Chair; Wilson, C., Vice Chair; Hawkins, Ranking Member; Dozier, Hunt, McCune, Mullet and Pedersen.
Staff: Ailey Kato (786-7434)
Background:

Current state law allows school districts to maintain certain health related items including epinephrine autoinjectors, opioid overdose reversal medication, and automated external defibrillators.

 

The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) was directed to develop guidance for a medical emergency response and automated external defibrillator program for high schools.  OSPI, in consultation with the Department of Health, must assist districts in carrying out a program including providing guidelines and advice for seeking grants for the purchase of or donations of automated external defibrillators.  OSPI may coordinate with local health districts or other organizations in seeking grants and donations for this purpose. 

 

A person or entity who acquires a defibrillator must ensure that:

  • expected defibrillator users receive reasonable instruction in its use and cardiopulmonary resuscitation by a course approved by the Department of Health; 
  • the defibrillator is maintained and tested by the acquirer;
  • medical direction is enlisted by the acquirer from a licensed physician in its use and cardiopulmonary resuscitation; 
  • the acquirer must notify local emergency medical services organization about the existence and location of the defibrillator; and
  • the defibrillator user calls 911 as soon as possible and assure appropriate follow-up data is made available.

 

These requirements do not apply to any individual using a defibrillator in an emergency setting if that individual is acting as a good samaritan.

 

According to the United States Department of Homeland Security, "Stop the Bleed"  is a national awareness campaign that encourages bystanders to become trained and equipped to help in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives.
Summary of Engrossed Bill:

Bleeding Control Equipment.  Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, school districts must maintain and make available bleeding control equipment on each school campus for use in the event of a traumatic injury.  Schools must inspect and inventory this equipment annually and after each use, and replace equipment as necessary.

 

Bleeding control equipment 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.

 

The equipment may include other medical materials and equipment.

 

Each school must have a minimum of two employees per school who have completed training on using the bleeding control equipment.  If a school has more than 1000 students it must have one trained employee per 500 students.

 

School districts may use trainings produced by the United States Department of Homeland Security, the American College of Surgeons, or similar organizations.

 

School districts are encouraged to implement these requirements during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years.

 

Semiautomatic External Defibrillators.  Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, school districts must acquire and maintain at least one semiautomatic external defibrillator on each school campus.  School districts must comply with existing requirements in state law including instruction on the use of the defibrillator, maintenance of the defibrillator, and notification of the local emergency medical services organization about the location of the defibrillator.

 

A person who uses a defibrillator at the scene of an emergency is immune from civil liability.  This immunity from civil liability does not apply if the acts or omissions amount to gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct. 

 

All of the medical equipment requirements on school districts also apply to charter schools and state-tribal education compact schools.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: No.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

PRO:  Schools must be prepared for bleeding emergencies including school shootings, lacerations, and car accidents.  A person can bleed to death in three to four minutes if hemorrhaging is not stopped, and emergency response time can take longer than that amount of time.  These bleeding control kits are inexpensive, and the training is free and easily available.  Pressure packing and tourniquets are simple concepts for non-medical people to execute.  Students can be trained to use this equipment and save lives.  Schools can seek donated equipment and other funding to implement the requirements in this bill.  Stop the bleed efforts are part of a national campaign, and other states have passed similar legislation.
Persons Testifying: PRO: Senator Manka Dhingra, Prime Sponsor; Rian Alam; Barbara Jensen, EvergreenHealth; Quinton Hatch, Washington State Committee on Trauma; Krestin Bahr, Peninsula School District; Tiffany Crabb; Bryce Robinson, Washington Chapter of the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma; Anna Leslie; Maria Paulsen; Sam Arbabi, University of Washington, Chief of Surgery.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: No one.