Florida school districts must mandate employee CPR training under proposed law

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A new piece of legislation would require Florida school districts to institute mandatory cardiopulmonary resuscitation training, or CPR training, for certain employees.

Employees that districts would have to place “emphasis” on for the training requirements include personnel in school athletics or food service.

The bill, HB 615, was filed by Rep. Paula Stark, R-St. Cloud, on Tuesday.

The purpose of the bill is to “enable personnel to respond to a health emergency before the arrival of emergency responders,” according to its text.

It provides a timeline for staggered implementation, beginning with a requirement for high schools for the 2025-2026 school year, middle schools in 2026-2027, and elementary schools for 2027-2028.

If passed, it would take effect July 1, 2024.

According to the legislation, district school boards would be responsible for adopting the policies for a certain percentage of athletics and food personnel.

Under current Florida law, teachers and personnel do not have to maintain a CPR certification to keep their license, though school districts may implement their own policies.

CPR also became a graduation requirement for Florida high school students in 2021.