A bipartisan proposal advancing through the Minnesota Legislature would require the state's high school coaches to be trained in compression-only CPR and the use of automated external defibrillators.
As reported by Tom Akaolisa of MinneapoliMedia, Senate File 3548 is authored by senator Bonnie Westlin, a Democrat from Plymouth, and would require head coaches and assistant coaches working with Minnesota student-athletes to complete emergency response training designed to help them recognize and respond to cardiac emergencies during practices or competitions, a step supporters say could dramatically improve survival chances for student athletes experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.
More than 230,000 students participated in school sports last year, according to the Minnesota State High School League, placing Minnesota among the top 10 states nationally for student-athletic involvement. However, Minnesota remains one of only a handful of states that does not mandate CPR or AED training for school athletic coaches, Akaolisa reported.
"Advocates often refer to the first moments following cardiac arrest as a critical survival window, when rapid chest compressions and defibrillation can restore a normal heart rhythm," he wrote.
“What we do know is that with all sudden cardiac arrests, time is of the essence,” Westlin said during testimony supporting the bill.
The legislation was unanimously approved by the Senate Education Policy Committee on March 9, signaling broad, bipartisan agreement among lawmakers.
If enacted, the training requirement would take effect beginning in the 2027-28 school year.
The legislation is designed to remove barriers that might prevent coaches from obtaining emergency response training. According to Akaolisa, measures include:
- Training at no cost. CPR and AED instruction would be provided free of charge through partnerships with medical organizations, ensuring school districts do not bear additional costs.
- Expanded scope. The requirement would apply to both high school and middle school head coaches and assistant coaches, broadening the pool of trained adults supervising student athletics.
- Liability protections. The bill includes Good Samaritan style legal protections, shielding coaches from civil liability when performing CPR or using an AED in good faith, provided they do not act with gross negligence.
- Regular certification. Coaches would be required to renew their training at least once every two calendar years, ensuring skills remain current and effective.
Supporters say the combination of free training and legal protections removes two of the most common barriers that schools cite when implementing emergency preparedness programs, Akaolisa reported.
Despite unanimous committee approval and bipartisan support from lawmakers, the proposal faces skepticism from the Minnesota State High School League, which governs high school athletics in the state.
Westlin said the organization has historically opposed similar measures.
“I have carried bills related to this topic multiple years now,” she said during the hearing, as reported by MinneapoliMedia. “And every single year a strange thing happens. The Minnesota State High School League opposes my bills but hasn’t come to talk to me once about them. Not once.”
Per Akaolisa's reporting, she described the lack of dialogue as “baffling.”
