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.