This bill creates new statutory requirements and alters existing statute to require Washington public schools to adopt and maintain cardiac emergency response plans and related AED programs, and to require coach training. It adds new sections to chapter 28A.300 RCW, amends RCW 28A.300.471, and adds a section to chapter 28A.600 RCW. The legal changes are procedural and programmatic: schools must develop school-level cardiac emergency response plans beginning in the 2025-26 school year, designate a response team of school staff, identify AED locations consistent with American Heart Association or other national science organization guidance (with a goal that an AED can be brought to a person in cardiac arrest within three minutes of staff awareness), keep AEDs unlocked and clearly signed, test and maintain AEDs per manufacturer guidelines, notify local emergency service providers of AED type and location, conduct regular trainings and annual drills in CPR/first aid/AED use, and review and update plans at least annually. Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, athletic coaches for activities governed by the WIAA or comparable voluntary nonprofit entities must obtain and maintain training in CPR, first aid, and AED use consistent with national evidence-based guidelines. The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction must establish and run a grant program to help schools develop plans, implement procedures, train staff, and purchase and maintain AEDs; OSPI must prioritize grants to schools where 50% or more of enrolled students (averaged over the prior three years) are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. The bill allows school districts, public schools, charter schools under chapter 28A.710 RCW, and state-tribal education compact schools under chapter 28A.715 RCW to accept gifts, grants, and in-kind donations for AED purchases, maintenance, and training. The bill is a procedural and funding-authority change rather than a criminal or penalty change; no new crimes or penalties are specified in the extracted facts. Important implementation details are not included in the provided text: the specific “evidence-based core elements” are not enumerated, the definitions of “other national science organization” and “comparable voluntary nonprofit entity” are not provided, there are no appropriation or grant-application details or timelines for OSPI action, the exact section numbers added to chapter 28A.300 RCW are not given, and no enforcement or measurement method for the three-minute AED goal is specified.

If enacted, schools will need to put in place and keep current a written cardiac emergency plan that names a staff response team, sets AED locations and maintenance, schedules regular training and annual drills, and coordinates with local emergency responders; coaches of high school activities will have to be trained in CPR, first aid, and AED use beginning in 2026-27. That will increase responsibilities and likely add costs for purchasing and maintaining AEDs, paying for staff training and drill time, and for districts to coordinate with local emergency services; OSPI must run a grant program to help cover these costs and will prioritize schools with high shares of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals, and schools may accept donations to help pay for AEDs and training. The practical benefit is a greater chance of faster, organized responses to on-campus cardiac arrests, but how much of the cost burden is covered is unclear because the statute does not specify grant amounts, timelines, or detailed standards to follow (it refers generally to American Heart Association or other national science organizations), nor does it define some terms or explain how the three-minute AED goal will be measured or enforced.