SB 4-REQUIRE CPR FOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION  3:15:48 PM CHAIR DYSON announced SB 4 to be up for consideration. RUTH KELLER, staff to Senator John Cowdery, said the bill would require all students in the Alaska public school system be certified in basic first aid and CPR in order to qualify for graduation. It is well known that CPR administrated in a timely manner increases the survivability rate of the victim. Knowledge of what to do is as important as knowledge of what not to do in many first aid situations such as those involving body fluids. CPR and first aid skills are particularly important in Alaska where medical care is often less accessible than elsewhere. Senator Cowdery believes local fire departments, homeland security funds, and volunteers could be employed to minimize the cost of training. CHAIR DYSON understood the attached fiscal note to show there would be no fiscal impact from this bill. He asked Ms. Keller how school districts could train students in CPR and first aid without creating a significant financial impact. MS. KELLER informed the committee about a program called the Alaska Citizen Corps Council that would train volunteers with homeland security funding. Fire chiefs in Anchorage said their departments might also be able to train students. UWE KALENKA testified in support of SB 4. His son was mortally wounded behind the knee and died within a mile of a fire station and a hospital as a result of bleeding. Had his son known first aid he could have saved his own life. 3:24:06 PM SENATOR ELTON said he is interested in what the school districts think about the bill. SENATOR GREEN remarked in her tenure the Legislature has never acted upon an effort to change the state's curriculum because that authority goes to the State Board of Education. She hesitated to support legislative changes to the curriculum. SENATOR OLSON said his district did not have medically trained volunteers available to train students. CHAIR DYSON held SB 4 in committee. There being no further business to come before the committee, he adjourned the meeting at 3:25:51 PM.