INDIANA — Following a surge of advocacy from health organizations and concerned parents, the Indiana House Education Committee voted 10-1 Wednesday morning to maintain critical life-saving requirements for state schools.
The committee passed Amendment 6 to House Bill 1004, a move that effectively preserves the mandate for Indiana schools to maintain cardiac emergency response plans (CERPs) and have automated external defibrillators (AEDs) present at all school-sanctioned events.
The vote comes less than two weeks after the original language of HB 1004 was introduced on January 9, which included a provision that would have repealed those very requirements. The initial proposal to roll back the 2025 law drew immediate backlash from the American Heart Association (AHA) and advocates like Julie West, who lost her son to sudden cardiac arrest and has championed AED legislation for over a decade.
“Since the potential repeal of that language was introduced, hundreds of American Heart Association supporters from across the state contacted their lawmakers to advocate for the safety of students, parents, and everyone who attends school events,” said Christina Cesnik, Indiana Government Relations Director for the AHA, in a statement following the vote.
Balancing Safety and Mandates
HB 1004, authored by State Rep. Bob Behning (R-Indianapolis), is a sweeping 165-page bill designed to streamline the state’s education code by removing dozens of expired or “burdensome” provisions.
Behning previously noted that some education groups, including the Indiana School Boards Association, had expressed concerns regarding the “unfunded mandate” of purchasing and maintaining AEDs. However, public testimony highlighted that survival rates for students experiencing sudden cardiac arrest can approach 90% when an AED is used within three minutes.
“We appreciate the fact that committee members listened to their constituents and kept these life-saving requirements in place,” Cesnik added.
The bill now moves to the full House for further consideration. If passed, it will then head to the Indiana Senate. Advocates say they will remain vigilant as the legislative process continues.
“The American Heart Association will continue to follow this bill… so that the chain of survival for cardiac emergencies at schools is as robust as possible,” Cesnik stated.
By the Numbers: Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Schools
10-1: The final committee vote to pass Amendment 6 and preserve the safety requirements [user prompt].
70-90%: Survival rate when schools are equipped with AEDs and emergency plans.
8-10%: General survival rate for pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrests without prompt intervention.
