Bill to Incorporate First Aid Training in High School Curriculums Passes Senate Committee

ATLANTA (March 7, 2022) | Today, Senate Bill 545 authored by Sen. Sonya Halpern (D – Atlanta), was successfully reported out of the Senate Committee on Education and Youth.

“Access to basic, lifesaving techniques, such as CPR or first aid training, has the potential to save countless lives across the state,” said Sen. Halpern. “The training proposed through this bill would prepare students to rapidly respond to a variety of crises, ranging from sports injuries, to procedures to stem the loss of blood. While many students previously gained this training through youth development programs, we have seen student participation decline, due partly to the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Additionally, we have witnessed a frightening decline in healthcare access in rural Georgia and this training provided by schools through this bill has the potential to fill in some of those healthcare gaps. I am thankful to see this bill pass through the Senate Education and Youth Committee and I look forward to bringing it to the Senate Floor soon.”

The bill states that, beginning in the 2022-2023 school year, each local board of education shall provide, at minimum, one hour of first aid instruction for students in either grade 9 or 10. You can view the full text of the bill here: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/62300

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For Immediate Release:

March 7, 2022

Sophie Stepakoff, Communications Associate

sophie.stepakoff@senate.ga.gov

404.656.0028