SRC-MKV C.S.H.B. 821 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research CenterC.S.H.B. 821
77R15951 CAS-DBy: Giddings (Bivins)
Education
5/10/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

The American Heart Association estimates that each day more than 95 percent
of Americans who suffer sudden cardiac arrest die before reaching the
hospital. Additionally, at least 50,000 lives could be saved each year if
the national sudden cardiac arrest survival rate could be increased from
five percent to 20 percent or higher. One course of action that might
increase survival rates is the chain of survival, a four-step process of
providing treatment to victims of sudden cardiac arrest which includes
administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). More lives could
potentially be saved if more people were skilled in CPR.  C.S.H.B. 821
requires a school district to offer a CPR course to students at or above
the ninth grade level.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the commissioner of education
in SECTION 1 (Section 7.025, Education Code) and SECTION 2 (Section 29.903,
Education Code) of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Chapter 7B, Education Code, by adding Section 7.025, as
follows: 

Sec. 7.025. DONATIONS FOR USE RELATED TO CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION
(CPR) INSTRUCTION.  (a) Authorizes the Texas Education Agency (agency) to
accept donations, including donations of equipment, for use in providing
CPR instruction for students.  Requires the agency to distribute the
donations to school districts that provide CPR instruction to students
under Section 29.903, and authorizes the agency to use a portion of the
donations to the extent necessary to pay administrative expenses related to
the donations. 

(b) Authorizes the commissioner of education (commissioner) to adopt rules
as necessary to implement this section. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Chapter 29Z, Education Code, by adding Section 29.903,
as follows: 

Sec. 29.903.  CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION (CPR) INSTRUCTION; DONATIONS TO
SCHOOL DISTRICTS FOR USE IN CPR INSTRUCTION.  (a) Authorizes a school
district that provides instruction to students in the principles and
techniques of CPR to accept from the agency donations the agency receives
under Section 7.025. Requires the district to use those donations in
providing instruction to students in the principles and techniques of CPR.
Authorizes a district to accept other donations, including donations of
equipment, for use in proving the instruction. 

(b) Requires the district, to the extent that resources are available to a
school district under Section 7.025 or this section, to provide instruction
to students in the principles and techniques of CPR. 

 (c) Authorizes a district to use resources other than those made available
under Section 7.025 or this section to provide instruction to students in
the principles and techniques of CPR. 

(d) Authorizes the commissioner to adopt rules as necessary to implement
this section. 

SECTION 3.  Sets forth legislative intent.

SECTION 4.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2001.