Dive Brief:
- New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed into law Tuesday a bill mandating that the state's commissioner of education create a CPR training curriculum for high schools.
- State senators approved the bill, which requires all high school students to be trained in CPR and defibrillator use, in June.
- The New York Department of Education has 180 days to create a curriculum recommendation, after which the Board of Regents will be given 60 days to act on the plan.
Dive Insight:
The CPR requirement was supported by the American Heart Association, which said that each year 400,000 people have heart attacks when they are in the hospital and only 10% survive. The measure is meant to provide knowledge so high schools can do something and act if they are in a situation like that. New York is the 19th state to require CPR training.
As Cuomo said in a statement Tuesday, "By teaching students these critically important skills, we are giving them the tools to literally save lives. I am proud to sign this bill into law because it is a common-sense way to improve the education of young New Yorkers and ultimately create a healthier and safer New York for all."