Legislature(2025 - 2026)SENATE FINANCE 532
05/12/2025 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB20 | |
| SB11 | |
| SB184 | |
| SB6 | |
| SB146 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | SB 20 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 11 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 184 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 6 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 146 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 37 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SENATE BILL NO. 20
"An Act relating to cardiopulmonary resuscitation
education in public schools; relating to the duties of
the Department of Education and Early Development; and
providing for an effective date."
9:29:31 AM
Co-Chair Hoffman relayed that it was the first hearing on
SB 20. He invited the sponsor to the table to introduce the
legislation.
9:29:55 AM
SENATOR ELVI GRAY-JACKSON, SPONSOR, relayed that the bill
was a reintroduction of a bill that was introduced during
the 33rd legislature. The bill was largely the same but for
a zero fiscal note. The zero fiscal note was due to
existing curriculum in other school districts in the
country, which took the onus off of Alaskan school
districts to create curriculum. She cited that sudden
cardiac arrest was the third leading cause of death in the
United States, with over 365,000 casualties every year.
Senator Gray-Jackson read from a Sponsor Statement (copy on
file):
Sudden Cardiac Arrest is a leading cause of death in
the United States, but bystander CPR can triple the
survival rate. Senate Bill 20 seeks to enhance the
quality of health education within our state's public
school system by offering CPR Curriculum to our school
students. This curriculum focuses on equipping our
students with the knowledge and skills necessary to
increase the number of CPR-trained bystanders.
By enacting this legislation, we are prioritizing the
health and well-being of our youth, empowering them
with the knowledge and skills to make informed
decisions and respond effectively in emergency
situations, potentially saving lives within their
communities. This would also give students the
opportunity to begin their work-training before
graduating school which will help with work shortages
across the state.
Integrating CPR education into the school curriculum
helps promote a culture of preparedness and
responsiveness to emergencies. Requiring schools to
teach CPR ensures that all students, regardless of
socioeconomic status or geographic location, have
access to this vital life-saving skill. This
curriculum will be available to all students in our
vast state, and your support is vital to enacting this
important legislation.
9:31:44 AM
CLARK BICKFORD, STAFF, SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON, offered some
key statistics and remarks on the bill subject matter:
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, also known as CPR, is
an important skill to learn because it helps maintain
vital blood flow to the heart and brain during a
cardiac arrest. It can significantly increase a
person's chances of survival by keeping oxygen
circulating around the brain until professional
medical help arrives.
Early and effective CPR can double or even triple
survival rates, making it a critical life-saving skill
in emergencies.
While many people are familiar with traditional CPR
methods, involving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, one
of the main reasons we are now seeing hands-only CPR
being adopted and implemented around the country, was
to reduce public hesitation in helping unknown
victims. The most reported barrier to performing CPR
was the requirement for mouth-to-mouth rescue
breathing.
Hands-only CPR is equally effective and is being
adopted nationwide in training programs. However, its
success heavily depends on proper education and public
awareness. Without knowing when and how to administer
it, bystanders may hesitate or fail to act
effectively. This legislation can teach students
across the state how to properly administer the life
saving techniques.
With us today are individuals who have long advocated
for the inclusion of this curriculum in previous
Alaska legislatures, and even in other states across
the country as well.
For questions specifically related to its
implementation, I refer you to Brian Webb, EMS
Coordinator and CPR expert; as well as Jason Dolph,
Safety Officer with the Anchorage Fire Department; and
Chief Schrage of the Anchorage Fire Department, who
can speak to the effectiveness of this training. For
questions regarding the zero fiscal note, I would
refer you again to Brian Webb, who has a background in
designing and teaching these trainings.
9:34:41 AM
DOUGLAS SCHRAGE, CHIEF, ANCHORAGE FIRE DEPARTMENT,
ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), offered his invited
testimony. He asserted that the bill provided the
opportunity to make an immediate positive impact on the
survival rate from sudden cardiac arrest. Early cardiac-
pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external
defibrillator (AED) use were the single most important
factors in improving the survival rate from sudden cardiac
arrests. He emphasized that CPR education was important
because even the best emergency response system (EMS) took
time to arrive and the first five minutes after a cardiac
arrest could lead to irreversible brain and organ damage.
He proposed that early CPR by bystanders was the key to
sustaining life until EMS arrived.
Mr. Schrage noted that most cardiac arrests happened in the
home, where he thought students with CPR training could
make the most impact. He noted that the state had made
great strides by improving cardiac arrest survival rates,
but the improvement had reached a plateau. He argued that
to make more improvements, the state needed more people
trained in CPR and willing to engage in providing hands-
only CPR when needed. He relayed that hands-only CPR not
only addressed the impediment of people not wanting to
provide CPR but was more effective in providing blood flow
to the brain and vital organs in areas where there were
reasonable response times. He urged the committee to
support the bill.
9:37:56 AM
JASON DOLPH, SAFETY FIRE OFFICE, ANCHORAGE FIRE DEPARTMENT,
ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), spoke in support of the
bill. He was a second-generation firefighter and a 26-year
veteran of emergency services in the state. He was a
certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) as well as an
EMT instructor and CPR instructor. He asserted that the
survival rate of cardiac arrest was only 10 percent. He
cited a study that showed patients that had received CPR
within two minutes had an 81 percent higher chance of
survival and ultimate discharge from the hospital. Even
those that had CPR delayed up to 10 minutes still had a 19
percent higher chance of survival than those that received
no bystander CPR.
Mr. Dolph recounted having responded to more than 10,000
emergency incidents in his career. He discussed his
anecdotal experience with greater success for those that
had CPR performed by a bystander. He cited that only 40
percent of people suffering sudden cardiac rest outside a
hospital received CPR before help arrived. He discussed
teaching CPR and his observation that people took CPR
courses only when required. He cited that 73 percent of all
cardiac arrests happened in the home. He emphasized that
the bill sought to teach CPR skills early, and that
children as young as 9 could perform CPR.
Mr. Dolph recounted a story in Anchorage in which a 14-
year-old performed CPR on another person of the same age,
even when there were adults in the room. He discussed
advantages of CPR education in school, including the
normalization of CPR and confidence in skills. He thought
the end-goal was "a generation of life savers." He strongly
urged the committee to pass the legislation. He relayed
that his wife was an elementary educator, and he had a high
regard for the school system in the state. He affirmed his
regard for all subjects taught and thought CPR education
was powerful knowledge.
9:43:45 AM
BRIAN WEBB, EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES INSTRUCTOR,
ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), relayed that he had served
50 years in EMS and was still an active paramedic and
educator. He mentioned prior testimony that had provided
outdated information. He mentioned peer-reviewed studies
that he had provided to the committee which had proven the
effectiveness of hands-only CPR. He emphasized that hands-
only CPR was endorsed by the American Heart Association
(AHA), the Resuscitation Academy, and EMS systems
nationwide. He asserted that hands-only CPR was shown to
double or triple survival rates for victims of cardiac
arrest. He listed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation as the
single most reason that bystanders did not help, and noted
that hands-only CPR removed the barrier. He described that
chest compressions created a bellows effect which drew in
fresh air and expelled carbon dioxide from the lungs.
Mr. Webb emphasized the importance of timing in cardiac
arrest and referenced studies that showed that three
minutes of compressions could get a patients circulation
return to normal, making it easier to do cardiac
defibrillation. He mentioned far distances to EMS in
Alaska. He encouraged the committee to pass the bill.
9:46:29 AM
Co-Chair Hoffman OPENED public testimony.
9:46:45 AM
MIKE COONS, SELF, WASILLA (via teleconference), spoke in
support of the bill. He mentioned sending written testimony
in support of the bill, with the caveat that it was hands-
only CPR education. He mentioned discussion in committee
hearings. He relayed that he had hoped that both versions
of CPR would be taught. He was a retired paramedic and had
performed CPR and advanced cardiac life support many times.
He described a scenario in which patients' lives were
saved. He mentioned teaching CPR. He asked the committee to
add full CPR training to the bill.
9:49:20 AM
JAMIE MORGAN, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS REGIONAL LEAD, AMERICAN
HEART ASSOCIATION, CALIFORNIA (via teleconference),
testified in favor of the bill. She cited that every year
more than 350,000 people experienced sudden cardiac arrest
outside of a hospital. She stressed that trained students
would be able to save the lives of family members. She
discussed CPR education. Since 2018, more than 40 states
had passed legislation that required students to learn CPR
before graduation. She urged the members to support the
bill.
9:51:16 AM
Co-Chair Hoffman CLOSED public testimony.
Senator Kiehl discussed a zero fiscal note from the
Department of Education and Early Development, OMB
Component 2796. There was a zero fiscal impact with a note
that indicated the department would have regulations
sometime in late August.
Co-Chair Hoffman asked if the sponsor had any comments.
Senator Gray-Jackson thanked the committee for hearing the
bill.
SB 20 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| SB 20 CPR Curriculum Sectional Analysis Version N._.pdf |
SFIN 5/12/2025 9:00:00 AM |
SB 20 |
| SB 20 CPR Curriculum Sponsor Statement Version N._.pdf |
SFIN 5/12/2025 9:00:00 AM |
SB 20 |
| SB 20 Hands-Only CPR Research Links.pdf |
SFIN 5/12/2025 9:00:00 AM |
SB 20 |
| SB 20 NEA-Alaska letter from Tom Klaameyer in support of SB 20 2.19.2025 (1).pdf |
SFIN 5/12/2025 9:00:00 AM |
SB 20 |
| SB 20 Supporting Documents.pdf |
SFIN 5/12/2025 9:00:00 AM |
SB 20 |
| SB 20 Written Letter of Support From Brian Webb.pdf |
SFIN 5/12/2025 9:00:00 AM |
SB 20 |
| SB 11 Backup - 2022 DCCED NFIP Report published 12.22.pdf |
SFIN 5/12/2025 9:00:00 AM |
SB 11 |
| SB 11 Sectional Analysis ver A 4.9.25.pdf |
SFIN 5/12/2025 9:00:00 AM |
SB 11 |
| SB 11 Sponsor Statement ver A 4.9.25.pdf |
SFIN 5/12/2025 9:00:00 AM |
SB 11 |
| SB 11 DCCED DCRA 050925.pdf |
SFIN 5/12/2025 9:00:00 AM |
SB 11 |
| SB 11 AML Testimony.pdf |
SFIN 5/12/2025 9:00:00 AM |
SB 11 |
| SB 20 Coons Testimony.msg |
SFIN 5/12/2025 9:00:00 AM |
SB 20 |