SB 278

Enacts new GS 115C-375.25 requiring the governing body of each public school unit to develop a cardiac emergency response plan (CERP), to be reviewed and updated annually, addressing the appropriate use of school personnel to respond to incidents of sudden cardiac arrest or a similar life-threatening emergency while on school grounds. Requires the CERP to integrate evidence-based core elements and contain five specified core elements: (1) establish a cardiac emergency response team; (2) describe how the response team will be activated in response to a cardiac emergency; (3) identify the school staff to be trained on CPR and the use of Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs), to include at least school nurses and faculty with supervisory responsibility over students in any athletic situation; (4) annual practice drills for the response team; and (5) integrating local emergency service providers with the plan. Requires school officials to work directly with local emergency service providers to integrate the CERP into the community's EMS responder protocols. Requires the State Board of Education to adopt rules for the installation, use, and maintenance of AEDs in public school units, which must meet the specified minimum standards.