Bill
HD 82
Mandates AEDs and trained staff at all municipal athletic fields, parks, playgrounds, and all school facilities/fields, with CPR/AED training and funding/regulatory guidance.
Overview
- Purpose: To require automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) at municipal athletic fields, parks, and playgrounds, and to require AEDs and trained staff at all school facilities and school-sponsored athletic fields. The bill aims to improve readiness and response to cardiac emergencies in recreational and educational settings.
- Introduced: 2025 (House Docket No. 82, by Rep. Marcus S. Vaughn; related prior filing in 2023-2024 as House No. 3924)
- Status: Proposed bill (no enacted status specified in the provided text)
Key Provisions
1) Municipalities – AEDs at athletic fields, parks, and playgrounds (Chapter 45, new Sec. 26)
- Each municipality must provide and maintain at least 1 AED at every athletic field, park, and playground it maintains.
- Parks and recreation departments may require additional AEDs at locations they manage.
- Mandatory training:
- CPR and AED use training for all parks and recreation department staff.
- CPR and AED training for all sports coaches, umpires/referees, and other sports officials who participate in events at municipal facilities.
- Training may extend to other groups as determined by the parks and recreation department.
- Procurement: The department may contract for AEDs and the required training.
2) Schools – AEDs and trained personnel at school facilities and athletic fields (Chapter 71, Sec. 54C replacement)
- Each school district, vocational district, charter school, approved private day/residential school, and collaborative school must provide and maintain at least 1 AED on site at each instructional facility.
- Each school must have on staff an AED provider with current CPR and AED certification (per AHA or Red Cross standards).
- For athletic fields used for school-sponsored events: at least 1 AED in the area of the athletic fields; an AED provider must be readily available at any school-sponsored athletic event.
- Training: Mandatory CPR and AED training for all school staff, including sports coaches.
- Hardship waivers: If a district cannot comply, the superintendent/admin or charter school board may request a hardship waiver from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). DESE, with input from the Department of Public Health (DPH), will provide a list of grant/funding sources to help acquire AEDs.
- Liability protection: Staff acting in good faith to provide emergency care (including CPR or defibrillation) shall not be liable for acts/omissions, except in cases of gross negligence or willful misconduct.
- Regulations: DESE, in consultation with DPH, will establish implementing regulations and guidelines for implementation, training, support, and supervision.
Who Is Affected
- Municipalities and their parks and recreation departments.
- School systems and charter/private schools (including districts with athletic facilities).
- School staff, coaches, officials, and AED providers.
- Potentially students, athletes, spectators, and communities benefiting from faster cardiac-arrest response.
Funding and Implementation Considerations
- The bill enables procurement and training via municipal contracts and directs DESE/DPH to identify funding sources and grants for AED acquisition.
- No explicit statewide funding appropriation is stated in the text; rather, grants and funding sources are to be identified and communicated.
- Regulations and training standards would be developed by DESE in consultation with DPH.
Notes
- The bill builds on a prior similar matter filed in the 2023-2024 session (House No. 3924).
- Specific dates for compliance or phased implementation are not provided; regulations would guide rollout.
Bottom line
HD 82 would mandate AED presence at all municipal athletic facilities and at all school facilities with instructional or athletic use, require trained AED providers and ongoing CPR/AED instruction for staff, and establish a framework for procurement, funding guidance, and regulatory oversight to ensure readiness for cardiac emergencies in public recreational and educational settings.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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