Requires schools safety plans to include a cardiac emergency response plan

New York schools strengthen cardiac emergency response

New York instructional school facilities must keep automated external defibrillators (AEDs) clearly marked, accessible, and maintained under nationally recognized guidelines. This covers school districts, charter schools, cooperative education boards, and county vocational education and extension boards. District safety teams must create and carry out written plans for sudden cardiac arrest and similar life-threatening emergencies. Plans cover school-owned or operated sites and school-sponsored events, with specific procedures for athletic practices and events on school grounds. They must use nationally recognized, evidence-based guidance and coordinate with local emergency medical services. Safety plans must address evacuation, sheltering, lockdown, medical needs, transportation, and emergency notices to parents or guardians. Annual safety training for staff and students must cover sudden cardiac arrest, violence prevention, and mental health. Districts must certify to the state that all staff completed annual emergency-plan training. Staff hired after the school year starts must receive training within 30 days or through existing new-hire training, whichever comes sooner. Separate first aid, CPR, and AED training remains voluntary. The superintendent or a designee serves as chief emergency officer, coordinates responders, and ensures building plans are updated yearly. Plans must also address declared communicable-disease emergencies consistently with state worker-protection requirements. The law takes effect 180 days after enactment, except school safety planning amendments follow Chapter 25 of the Laws of 2025.