Sponsored by:
Senator DIANE B. ALLEN
District 7 (Burlington)
Senator JOSEPH F. VITALE
District 19 (Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Requires public school student to receive instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and use of automated external defibrillator as requirement for high school graduation.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning health education and supplementing 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. a. Notwithstanding the provisions of any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, beginning on September 1, 2014, the board of education of a public school district that includes grades 9 through 12, or the board of trustees of a charter school that includes grades 9 through 12, shall provide instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of an automated external defibrillator as part of the existing health education curriculum. The board of education, or board of trustees, may select a no-cost, non-certification instructional program to meet this requirement.
b. Each high school student shall be required to participate in the instructional program established pursuant to subsection a. of this section as a requirement for high school graduation.
2. The instruction provided pursuant to section 1 of this act shall:
a. be modeled from an instructional program established by the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, or other nationally-recognized association with expertise in instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of an automated external defibrillator; and
b. include a hands-on learning component for each participating student.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the board of education of a public school district that includes grades 9 through 12, or the board of trustees of a charter school that includes grades 9 through 12, to provide instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of an automated external defibrillator as part of the existing health education curriculum. The board may select a no-cost, non-certification instructional program to meet this requirement. The bill also requires each high school student to participate in the instructional program as a requirement for high school graduation.
The bill provides that the instruction: must be modeled from an instructional program established by the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, or other nationally-recognized
association with expertise in instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of an automated external defibrillator; and include a hands-on learning component for each participating student.