Bill
HF 737
Requires schools to adopt and maintain a cardiac emergency response plan with AEDs, signage, training, annual drills, EMS coordination, and athletic emergency action plans.
Status snapshot
- Introduced: March 5, 2025 (First reading, referred to Commerce Finance and Policy)
- Committee activity: Referred to Education (3/5); committee report “to adopt as amended and re‑refer to Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy” (3/10); rereferred to Appropriations (3/6). Authors added: Hanson J. (2/26), Virnig (3/5), Hicks (3/24). Sponsor (primary): Jones. Companion bill: SF 826.
- Current listed status in your materials: “Author added Hicks.”
Important note about source materials
- The bill title provided — “Lead and cadmium in consumer products prohibitions modified” — and the bill classification/subject (consumer protection, hazardous substances) indicate the bill should address restrictions on lead and cadmium in consumer products.
- The actual version text you provided, however, contains provisions unrelated to lead or cadmium; it sets out requirements for automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and a cardiac emergency response plan for schools. Because the lead/cadmium text is not present, this summary treats the AED/cardiac plan provisions as the operative content in the supplied draft and flags the title/content mismatch for verification.
Purpose and intent (as reflected in supplied text)
- To require school systems to adopt, document, and maintain cardiac emergency response capabilities on school property, including AED deployment, signage, maintenance, training, drills, coordination with emergency medical services (EMS), and an athletic emergency action plan.
Key provisions (from provided draft)
- AED identification and signage: Each AED placed on school property must be identified with appropriate signage.
- Routine maintenance: AEDs must receive routine maintenance per the manufacturer’s operational guidelines.
- EMS coordination: Schools must provide EMS providers with information about AED type(s) and exact locations of devices on school property.
- Cardiac emergency response plan distribution: The plan must be distributed to all attendance centers within the school system.
- Training and certification: Ongoing training and certification required for coaches, school nurses, athletic trainers, and, when appropriate, other employees/contractors in first aid, CPR, and AED use.
- Annual drills: Schools must conduct annual drills practicing the cardiac emergency response plan.
- Emergency notifications: Local EMS must be contacted when a cardiac arrest or similar life‑threatening emergency occurs on school property or during school‑related athletic or sponsored activities.
- Annual review: The cardiac emergency response plan must be reviewed and evaluated at least annually.
- Athletic emergency action plan: The legislation explicitly includes an athletic emergency action plan as part of the requirements.
Who is affected
- Public and private schools (attendance centers and school systems), coaches, school nurses, athletic trainers, other school employees and contractors, students and participants in school athletic/extracurricular activities, and local EMS providers. Families and school communities may also be affected indirectly.
Potential impacts
- Safety benefits: Improved preparedness and potentially faster, more effective responses to cardiac emergencies in schools and at school‑sponsored events.
- Operational costs: Schools may incur costs for AED procurement, routine maintenance, signage, recordkeeping, staff training and certification, and time for annual drills and plan reviews.
- Administrative burden: Coordination with EMS, documentation of device types/locations, and distribution of plans across attendance centers.
- Liability and compliance: Clearer protocols may influence liability exposure and expectations for school emergency response.
Procedural/timeline aspects
- Bill introduced March 5, 2025; moved among committees (Commerce, Education, Environment & Natural Resources Finance & Policy, Appropriations) in March 2025 per legislative actions noted. Next steps would typically include further committee consideration, possible amendments, and votes in committee and on the House floor; companion SF 826 in the Senate may progress on a parallel track.
Recommendation / next steps
- Verify the correct bill text and reconcile the title/subject (lead and cadmium prohibitions) with the supplied AED/cardiac plan text by consulting the official Minnesota Legislature bill page or contacting the bill sponsor’s office (Rep. Jones) or committee staff.
- If the bill actually concerns lead/cadmium restrictions, obtain the current official version to summarize substantive changes (thresholds, product categories, enforcement, penalties, effective dates). If the AED provisions are intended, track committee amendments and fiscal notes for cost estimates.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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