Indiana had a law that went a log way toward making the sidelines a safer place - now some want to put the children at risk once again! Why??
There is a huge proposed legislative piece that has this "gem" in Section 138 (140 pages into the bill.) :
16 SECTION 138. IC 20-34-8-9 IS REPEALED [EFFECTIVE JULY
17 1, 2026]. Sec. 9. (a) This section applies to:
18 (1) a head coach or assistant coach who coaches an athletic
19 activity;
20 (2) a marching band leader;
21 (3) a drama or musical leader; or
22 (4) a leader of an extracurricular activity in which students have
23 an increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest activity as determined
24 by the department in consultation with an organization that
25 specializes in the prevention of sudden cardiac arrest.
26 (b) An individual described in subsection (a) shall complete the
27 sudden cardiac arrest training course offered by a provider approved by
28 the department in a manner specified by the state board under
29 IC 20-28-5.5-1 or IC 20-28-5.5-1.5.
30 (c) An individual described in subsection (a) who complies with this
31 section and provides coaching or leadership services in good faith is
32 not personally liable for damages in a civil action as a result of a
33 sudden cardiac arrest incurred by an applicable student participating in
34 an event in which students have an increased risk of sudden cardiac
35 arrest for which the head coach, assistant coach, marching band leader,
36 drama or musical leader, or other applicable leader provided coaching
37 or leadership services, except for an act or omission by the individual
38 described in subsection (a) that constitutes gross negligence or willful
39 or wanton misconduct.
40 (d) An individual described in subsection (a) shall ensure that an
41 operational automated external defibrillator (AED) is present at each
42 event in which students have an increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest 2026
1 for which the individual described in subsection (a) is providing
2 coaching or leadership.
3 (e) At each event in which students have an increased risk of sudden
4 cardiac arrest, an individual described in subsection (a) shall inform all
5 individuals who are coaching or providing leadership at the event in
6 which students have an increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest of the
7 location of the automated external defibrillator (AED).
8 (f) A school corporation, charter school, and state accredited
9 nonpublic school shall do the following:
10 (1) Develop a venue specific emergency action plan for sudden
11 cardiac arrest that includes elements recommended by the
12 American Heart Association, Heart Safe Schools Program, or
13 another similar nationally recognized evidence based program.
14 (2) Share the plan described in subdivision (1) with each
15 individual described in subsection (a).
16 (3) Before the beginning of the season of each event in which
17 students have an increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest, share the
18 plan described in subdivision (1) with all applicable students.
19 (g) A school corporation, a charter school, a state accredited
20 nonpublic school or an accredited nonpublic school (as defined in
21 IC 10-21-1-1) may apply for a grant under IC 10-21-1-2(a)(1)(C)(viii)
22 to purchase an automated external defibrillator (AED) if the school
23 corporation, charter school, state accredited nonpublic school or
24 accredited nonpublic school develops a venue specific emergency
25 action plan for sudden cardiac arrest.
Children will die if this passes.[i][/i]
