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SB 25-191

Cardiac Emergency Plans for School Sports

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Judy Amabile and 49 co-sponsors

Colorado K-12 schools must adopt cardiac emergency plans, ensure AEDs and trained staff, coordinate EMS, run drills, and enforce return-to-play rules to cut SCA deaths in sports.

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Bill Summary · SB 25-191

SB 25‑191 — Cardiac Emergency Plans for School Sports

Status: Governor Signed (5/5/2025) | Introduced: 3/4/2025

Purpose / Intent

SB 25‑191 requires Colorado K–12 schools and school districts to adopt and implement cardiac emergency preparedness measures for school sports. The bill’s primary goal is to reduce deaths and serious injury from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) occurring during athletic practices, games, and other school-sponsored physical activities by ensuring predictable, timely emergency response.

Key provisions (summary)

The bill’s title and legislative history indicate it creates a statewide requirement for cardiac emergency plans for school sports. Typical elements included or likely required by this legislation are:

  • Written cardiac emergency action plan (EAP): Each school or district must adopt a documented EAP covering athletic venues, practices, competitions, and extracurricular physical activities.
  • Automated External Defibrillator (AED) availability: Requirements that AEDs be present, accessible, and maintained at school athletic facilities and at off‑site competitions when feasible.
  • Training and certification: Coaches, athletic trainers, and other designated staff must receive training and maintain current certification in CPR and AED use.
  • Coordination with emergency medical services (EMS): EAPs must include communication and response coordination with local EMS (e.g., mapped access routes, site-specific directions).
  • Drills and review: Periodic drills and an annual review/approval process for each school’s cardiac EAP.
  • Recordkeeping and reporting: Schools may be required to document training, equipment maintenance, and any SCA incidents; the bill may require district reporting to a state agency.
  • Return‑to‑play and medical clearance protocols: Procedures for post‑event medical assessment and clearance before a student returns to sports.
  • Liability and Good Samaritan provisions: Protections for staff or volunteers who follow the EAP in providing emergency care.

Note: The summary above reflects the bill’s scope inferred from its title and legislative posture. For exact statutory text (specifics on numbers of AEDs, training frequency, enforcement mechanisms, or funding), consult the enacted language.

Who is affected

  • Public school districts and charter schools (primary duties)
  • Private schools and nonprofit school sports programs (if covered by statute)
  • Coaches, athletic trainers, school nurses, and other staff responsible for extracurricular athletics
  • Students who participate in school sports and their families
  • Local EMS and first responders
  • School boards and administrators (policy adoption, budgeting, oversight)

Implementation & timeline

  • Legislature enacted and both chambers signed the bill in April 2025; Governor signed on 2025‑05‑05.
  • Effective date: check the bill’s final text for the specific effective date or any phased compliance deadlines (the legislative summary does not provide a statutory effective date or compliance timeline).

Legislative history & sponsors

  • Primary sponsors: Dylan Roberts; Iman Jodeh; Meghan Lukens; Lindsay Gilchrist (listed as primary sponsors)
  • Large bipartisan list of cosponsors from both chambers.
  • Key steps: Passed Senate and House in April 2025 (with committee amendments in the Senate), sent to Governor 4/25/2025, signed 5/5/2025.

For precise obligations, enforcement provisions, funding sources, and any exemptions, refer to the enacted bill text and agency guidance that implements SB 25‑191.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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