STATEHOUSE (Feb. 6, 2025) — A bill authored by State Sen. Linda Rogers (R-Granger) that would ensure schools have a response plan in place for events of cardiac arrest unanimously passed out of the Senate Committee on Health and Provider Services today.
Senate Bill 350 would require schools to develop a response plan in the event of cardiac arrest. The bill would also require the Indiana Department of Education to conduct a statewide survey of school corporations, charter schools and state accredited nonpublic schools about response plans and AEDs currently available.
Testifiers in support of the bill spoke about both professional and personal experiences involving AED use or the lack of accessibility, including two women from northern Indiana, Julie West and Tonya Aerts.
In 2013, West lost her 17 year-old son to sudden cardiac arrest while he was playing football. She spoke about her personal loss and her experiences trying to spread accessibility of AEDs in schools to protect other families from experiencing similar situations through her organization, the Play for Jake Foundation.
Aerts, an educator at New Prairie High School, spoke about her experiences witnessing the passing of a student who suffered from sudden cardiac arrest while participating in an intramural sporting event. Aerts works closely with many community organizations to help provide CPR/AED training sessions and organize plans for events of sudden cardiac arrest.
"Having AEDs easily accessible in schools is something many throughout the state want, including advocates like Julie and Tonya who have spent years working to ensure Hoosier students are safe during the school day," Rogers said. "Making sure schools and communities have a response plan in place for emergencies like sudden cardiac arrest is a crucial part of keeping our children safe, and I am pleased to see SB 350 move forward in the legislative process."
This bill builds on a 2023 law also authored by Rogers encouraging leaders of extracurricular activities to have an AED present at each athletic activity conducted by the group in a specific venue.
The bill will now move to the Senate Committee on Appropriations for further consideration.
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To view SB 350 and other bills Rogers is authoring and supporting, click here.
State Sen. Linda Rogers (R-Granger) represents Senate District 11,
which includes portions of Elkhart and St. Joseph counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
Contact: Emma Balzer, Senior Press Secretary
Emma.Balzer@iga.in.gov
317-232-7184
Elijah Roberson, Press Secretary Intern
Elijah.Roberson@iga.in.gov
