Bill Text: NJ S1521 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires public school districts to provide CPR training and certification as part of curriculum; requires DOE to provide CPR instructor training; requires certain teachers to obtain training in CPR instruction.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-02-22 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee [S1521 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-S1521-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator THOMAS GOODWIN
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
Senator BILL BARONI
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Requires public school districts to provide CPR training and certification as part of curriculum; requires DOE to provide CPR instructor training; requires certain teachers to obtain training in CPR instruction.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning cardiopulmonary resuscitation training for public high school pupils and supplementing chapter 26 and chapter 35 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Notwithstanding the provisions of any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, beginning on September 1, 2011, the board of education of a public school district that includes grades 9 through 12 shall provide instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation as part of the high school curriculum and shall require each public high school pupil in the district to obtain certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. A board may excuse participation by a pupil who presents proof of current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
2. The Department of Education, in conjunction with the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, shall establish a cardiopulmonary resuscitation instructor training program for teachers referred to the department by a board of education. The department may work in conjunction with the American Heart Association or such other health organizations as the department may deem appropriate.
3. a. Notwithstanding the provisions of any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, a teacher who holds an instructional certificate endorsed for health and physical education as of the effective date of this act shall successfully complete training as an instructor in cardiopulmonary resuscitation within one year following the effective date of this act.
b. Notwithstanding the provisions of any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, to receive a health and physical education endorsement to the instructional certificate, an applicant shall have successfully completed training as an instructor in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
4. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires public school districts that include grades 9 through 12 to provide instruction and certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) as part of the high school curriculum beginning with the 2011-2012 school year; and requires each high school pupil to receive such certification. The bill also requires the Department of Education, in conjunction with the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, to establish a CPR instructor training program for teachers referred to the department by a local board of education. A teacher who holds an instructional certificate endorsed for health and physical education on the bill's effective date would be required to complete training as an instructor in CPR within one year of that effective date. Successful completion of CPR instructor training would be a prerequisite to receive a health and physical education endorsement for new applicants for that endorsement.
When combined with a timely response by emergency medical services, CPR performed immediately by an adequately trained bystander can drastically increase a cardiac arrest victim's chances of survival. In cities such as Seattle, Washington, where CPR training is widespread and EMS response and time to defibrillation is short, the survival rate for witnessed ventricular fibrillation (VF) is about 30%. Conversely, in cities such as New York City, where few victims receive bystander CPR and time to EMS response and defibrillation is longer, survival from sudden VF cardiac arrest averages under 2%.
Nationwide, only 5% of the estimated 250,000 people who suffer cardiac arrest in public places each year in the United States live long enough to get to a hospital, mostly because the emergency measures that could have saved their lives were not implemented in time. By requiring every New Jersey public high school pupil to obtain CPR certification, the State can drastically increase the chances that when someone goes into cardiac arrest, a trained good Samaritan will be there to help.
