✅Relating to instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of automated external defibrillators and to a cardiac emergency response plan for certain school employees and volunteers.

✅ SB 865: Real CPR, AED training and campus emergency plans with drills

What it says it does:
Requires key school staff to hold CPR and AED certifications, links campuses with local EMS, and makes every district keep a practiced cardiac emergency response plan with annual drills and yearly review. Applies beginning with the 2025 to 2026 school year, with full plans in place by the first instructional day of 2027 to 2028.

What it actually changes:
Moves CPR and AED training from good practice to a statewide duty for nurses, coaches, PE and activities staff, and any other employees the commissioner later names, sets a standing plan on every campus, requires drills and updates, and directs coordination with EMS using evidence based guidelines. Charter schools must adopt a policy to make CPR and AED instruction available. Private schools must adopt a policy if they accept a TEA provided AED or TEA funding.

Who is pushing for it:
School nurses, teacher and school employee groups, school board and community school associations, private school and home school organizations, and TEA staff as reflected in the witness materials. Named opponents, Not in files.

Who benefits:
Students, staff, and visitors who face sudden cardiac arrest on campus, educators who gain clear roles during an emergency, and local EMS through faster activation and better handoff.

Who gets left out or exposed:
Districts that must absorb recurring certification, drill time, and AED upkeep without a dedicated state funding stream, small and rural campuses with limited staffing, and private schools that avoid TEA equipment or funds and therefore fall outside the policy duty.

Why this matters long term:
Seconds are the difference between life and loss. Standard training, a real plan, and annual drills raise the odds of effective response as staff turn over. The promise is campus readiness that lasts, not a binder on a shelf.

What to watch next:
Clear TEA guidance and a model plan, simple readiness checks that focus on outcomes like response time and AED availability, consistent interpretations for charters and for private schools that accept state provided AEDs or funds, and whether lawmakers add targeted support for certification renewals and equipment maintenance.

Bottom line:
This is a people first safety bill. It does not change taxes or create a vendor pipeline, it asks adults to be trained, plans to be real, and drills to happen. To make it stick, pair clear guidance with light touch oversight, and keep communities asking two questions, when is the next drill, and where is the nearest AED.

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