| TO: | Honorable Florence Shapiro, Chair, Senate Committee on Education |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB25 by Nelson (Relating to the availability of an automated external defibrillator at high school athletic events.), As Introduced |
The bill would require school districts to make an automated external defibrillator (AED) readily available to each high school athletic department and at each high school athletic practice or competition. School districts would be directed to obtain federal funding or donations for the purpose of acquiring AED units. The provisions would apply beginning with the 2007-08 school year.
School districts would need to acquire a sufficient number of AED units to comply with the provision of the bill. Recent anecdotal evidence suggests that about 70% of high school campuses have at least one AED unit. However, less than 25% have multiple units. It is assumed that about 5,100 additional units may be needed in FY2008 to comply with the bill’s requirements. Assuming an average cost of $1,500 per unit, one-time costs for equipment purchases of approximately $7.7 million would be anticipated in fiscal year 2008. Ongoing costs associated with units are assumed to be limited to periodic maintenance and testing and would not be expected to be significant on a statewide basis.
| Source Agencies: | 701 Central Education Agency, UIL University Interscholastic League
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, UP, JSp
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