A year after requiring defibrillators in schools, Indiana may repeal law

Indiana lawmakers are considering rolling back parts of a law passed last year that requires schools to have automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, and cardiac emergency response plans.

Supporters of the law say it ensures schools are prepared for sudden cardiac emergencies. But the proposed repeal would make some of those requirements optional.

Julie West of La Porte has been advocating for these protections since losing her 17-year-old son, Jake, who collapsed from sudden cardiac arrest during a high school football practice in 2013. When the law passed last year, West said it brought a sense of relief.

“It was such a relief knowing that there is not going to be a family like mine that have to live with the fact that they sent their child to school thinking that they're in a safe and would not come home,” West said.

The current law, House Enrolled Act 1515, requires coaches and leaders of extracurriculars, such as marching band and drama, to ensure a working AED is present at their events.

Now, she says, that relief has turned to concern. Without a statewide mandate, West worries schools may not consistently implement emergency preparedness measures.

“If they do repeal the law that we just passed and signed by the governor last year, that means schools will take it upon themselves to maybe have AEDs, maybe have a cardiac emergency response plan in place. We can't count on schools to do this,” she said.

The provision to end the requirement is in House Bill 1004, a sweeping 168-page proposal to repeal or streamline numerous K-12 education rules. It also would loosen state mandates on schools by changing requirements related to curriculum and graduation, and easing teacher licensing rules.

The bill, authored by Rep. Bob Behning (R-Indianapolis), is a priority for the Republican House caucus.

The legislation is set for a hearing Wednesday before the House Education Committee.

A 2024 analysis by WFY and Side Effects Public Media found that nearly 40% of Indiana’s Black students went to a school with only one AED, or none at all. That’s compared to almost 33% of Hispanic students, about 30% of Asian students and 29% of White students.

WFYI education editor Eric Weddle contributed to this story.