Bill
HB 1607
Florida CS/HB 1607 requires public schools to train students in CPR, place AEDs on campus by 2027, and implement a PULSE plan to improve cardiac‑arrest response.
Note: the materials you provided contain multiple, different bills labeled “HB 1607” from several states and inconsistent metadata (a header about health benefit plans and a status of “Died in Committee,” while the attached committee reports describe a Florida school safety bill that was enacted). The summary below is based on the committee reports and analyses in the documents you supplied, which describe Florida CS/HB 1607 (Cardiac Emergencies / PULSE). If you meant a different HB 1607 (Indiana, Arkansas, Illinois, or the “health benefit plan” item), tell me which state/version and I will prepare a separate summary.
Summary — Florida CS/HB 1607 (Cardiac Emergencies / “PULSE”)
Status: Passed both chambers; approved by the Governor (ch. 2025-67); effective July 1, 2025
Introduced: 2025 (sponsored by Reps. Yarkosky and Rizo; Sen. Simon)
Subject areas: Education, student health and safety, emergency preparedness, public schools
Purpose and intent
- To improve school-based preparedness and response to sudden cardiac arrest and similar life‑threatening emergencies by expanding student CPR training, requiring defibrillators at public schools, and mandating school emergency response plans that align with evidence-based cardiac emergency elements.
Key provisions
- Student training:
- Requires school districts to provide basic first aid training, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), once during middle school and once during high school.
- Training must occur in a physical education or health class, allow students to practice the psychomotor (hands‑on) skills of performing CPR, and include practice using an automated external defibrillator (AED).
- AEDs on campus:
- By no later than July 1, 2027, each public school (including charter schools) must have at least one operational AED on school grounds.
- AEDs must be in a clearly marked, publicized location; maintained per manufacturer recommendations; and verification/maintenance records must be kept.
- Schools must register each AED’s location with a local emergency medical services (EMS) medical director.
- Participation in the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) AED requirement for athletics does not by itself satisfy this requirement.
- School emergency plans (PULSE):
- Each public school must develop a “plan for urgent life‑saving emergencies” (PULSE) to guide personnel responding to sudden cardiac arrest and similar emergencies.
- The PULSE must incorporate evidence‑based core elements (including American Heart Association recommendations) and be integrated with local emergency service responder protocols through direct coordination.
- Training and immunity:
- Schools must ensure appropriate staff are trained in first aid, CPR, and AED use.
- School employees and volunteers who use an AED are protected from civil liability under the Good Samaritan Act and the Cardiac Arrest Survival Act.
- Administration and rulemaking:
- The State Board of Education is required to adopt rules to administer the statute.
- Effective date:
- The bill takes effect July 1, 2025; AED requirement deadline July 1, 2027.
Who is affected
- Public school districts, public schools (including charter schools), students in middle and high school, school personnel, volunteers, local EMS/medical directors, and local governments (school districts and charter school operators bear direct costs).
Fiscal impact
- No identified state fiscal impact.
- Indeterminate, negative fiscal impact on school districts and charter schools to purchase AEDs (unknown number currently without AEDs), maintain equipment, keep verification records, provide staff training, and develop/coordinate PULSE plans.
Significant amendments / notes
- A House amendment renamed the emergency plan from “cardiac emergency response plan (CERP)” to “PULSE” and removed a bill name (“Rafe Maccarone Act”); the PULSE definition was broadened to explicitly consider American Heart Association recommendations.
- Committee analyses emphasize life‑saving benefits: bystander CPR and prompt AED use substantially raise survival odds from out‑of‑hospital cardiac arrest.
If you want: I can (1) produce a short one‑paragraph summary for quick distribution, (2) prepare a one‑page implementation checklist for school districts, or (3) summarize one of the other HB 1607 variants (Indiana radon disclosures, Arkansas Office of Outdoor Recreation, Illinois Commission/Task Force on Eliminating Food Deserts). Which would you prefer?
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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