Sponsors (2)
The bill substantially improves prevention and on-site response to heat-related emergencies for students and athletic programs—likely reducing serious injuries and deaths—at the cost of new equipment, training, reporting, and administrative responsibilities that could strain budgets and smaller institutions.
Students (esp. student-athletes) will have stronger prevention, recognition, and treatment for exertional heat illness—through training, venue-specific emergency action plans, and recommended WBGT guidelines—reducing the risk of deaths and severe injury.
On-site emergency response capacity will increase because institutions must identify and practice with AEDs and cold-water immersion procedures and obtain relevant equipment, enabling faster treatment of cardiac events and exertional heat stroke.
Parents, communities, and local responders will gain better transparency and coordination because EAPs must be posted publicly, distributed to local emergency services, and exercised annually, improving emergency response alignment.
Schools, colleges, and local governments will face additional costs (equipment, training, drills, website posting, reporting) that may increase expenses for athletic programs or require taxpayer support.
Developing venue-specific plans, conducting annual drills, posting EAPs, and submitting reports will create substantial administrative and compliance burdens for school staff and for the Department of Education.
Smaller and under-resourced schools may struggle to meet equipment, training, and reporting requirements, risking inequitable protection, compliance difficulties, or reduced athletic opportunities.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Requires K–12 schools receiving federal funds and participating colleges to adopt, post, practice, and annually report venue-specific heat-illness emergency action plans that include AEDs and cold-water immersion.
Introduced July 22, 2025 by Angela Deneece Alsobrooks · Last progress July 22, 2025
Requires federally connected colleges and K–12 schools that run athletics to create, post, practice, and annually report venue-specific emergency action plans to prevent and treat heat-related illnesses. Plans must be developed with local emergency responders within 1 year, include AEDs and cold-water immersion procedures, train staff annually, and be reported to the Education Department and authorizing committees; the Secretary must alert schools about federal funding options that can be used for prevention, training, and equipment.