Utah students head back to schools prepared for an emergency

Thanks to advocates like you Utah schools will be more prepared this fall if a cardiac emergency happens on school grounds. One of our key priorities, Cardiac Emergency Response Plans in schools, passed in the 2026 Utah legislative session and goes into effect for the 26-27 school year.

SB244 requires Utah schools to have a cardiac emergency response plan in place by fall 2026. This life‑saving policy ensures that schools have automated external defibrillators (AEDs) that are well‑maintained, easy to access, and supported by staff who are prepared to use them when every second counts. The Heart Association also secured $200,000 in funding to help schools purchase AEDs to make it easier for them to implement the bill.

While we hope they are never needed it is always good to be prepared.

We are currently working on similar regulations for athletic facilities so that if our student athletes are have the same protection if they are competing off school grounds.