Lawmakers in Missouri want to prevent cardiac arrest in student-athletes. Several house bills including 232 and 852 the, ‘Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act,’ would seek to place defibrillators and AEDs in all Mo., public schools. The bills would also require schools to establish cardiac arrest emergency response plans. The bills were introduced by Rep. Sherri Gallick and Rep. Jo Doll. A similar bill is also being passed through the state Senate.
If the bipartisan bill passes both Missouri’s House and Senate, then schools would be required to install the devices by the fall of 2026, particularly around the school’s athletic venues.
Sen. Kurtis Gregory told Missouri Net, “For schools with an athletic department or organized school athletic program, an AED shall be clearly marked and easily accessible in an unlocked location at each athletic venue and event. Then the AED shall be accessible during the school day and any school-sponsored athletic event or team practice.”
For Gregory, the heart attack of his hometown high school sports announcer back in 2006 was part of his desire to pass these bills. KMMO’s Greg Schmidt was announcing a high school baseball game when he fell into cardiac arrest. Thankfully there was an AED on site that day, and Schmidt survived.
Along with requiring the schools to have AEDs on site, the bill also requires school staff including coaches, athletic trainers, and nurses to be trained on how to best use the defibrillators.
“There’s not just students, there’s not just teachers in a school. There are janitors. There, when you have a school board meeting, there’s the public. This encompasses any facet of a school activity, and it requires a plan,” said Gallick.
The bills were originally introduced in 2024, and state budget was allocated for the initiative. However, lawmakers ran out of time to pass the bills last session. Now, it is top of mind to be passed in 2025.
