Arizona is the latest state to add CPR training to the curriculum for high school students, making it the 32nd in the country.
Legislation signed Thursday by Gov. Doug Ducey offers high school students at least one CPR training session, with hands-on practice. It can be taught at school or as a homework assignment outside of class. The curriculum change goes into effect with the 2019-2020 school year.
“Training students in CPR means equipping more people with the ability to act immediately, appropriately, and potentially save a life during an emergency,” said Annie Dockendorff, a spokeswoman for the Arizona governor’s office. “This legislation makes Arizona one of over 30 states to teach this important life skill in our schools.”
There is a very unique aspect to the Arizona bill that allows schools to purchase equipment with the Arizona tax credit if schools don’t partner with an outside organization.
Arizona will have nearly 60,000 graduating students a year learning CPR. With Arizona, about 61 percent of the nation’s public high school graduates will be trained in CPR.
According to American Heart Association statistics, about 38 people each hour have a cardiac arrest while not in a hospital, and nine of 10 do not survive. Receiving CPR, however, can double or even triple the victim’s chances of survival.
Just in April, Wisconsin, South Carolina and Kentucky passed similar bills, and Michigan is moving ahead on proposed legislation to require CPR training in schools.
States Requiring CPR Education
Thirty-two states have passed laws or adopted curriculum changes to require hands-on, guidelines-based CPR training for high school graduation. Each year, more than 1.8 million public high school graduates will have been trained in CPR.
Alabama
42,920 graduates
Passed: 1983
Implemented: 1983
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Arizona
59,850 graduates
Passed: 2016
Implemented: 2019-2020 school year
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Arkansas
28,540 graduates
Passed: 2013
Implemented: 2014-2015 school year
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Connecticut
35,540 graduates
Passed: 2015
Implemented: 2016-2017 school year
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Delaware
8,120 graduates
Approved: 2014
Implemented: 2015-2016 school year
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Georgia
92,010 graduates
Passed: 2013
Implemented: 2013-2014 school year
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Idaho
17,170 graduates
Approved: 2014
Implemented: 2015-2016 school year (starting with ninth-grade class)
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Illinois
130,340 graduates
Passed: 2014
Implemented: 2014-2015 school year
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Indiana
65,940 graduates
Passed: 2015
Implemented: 2015-2016 school year
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Iowa
32,310 graduates
Passed: 2008
Implemented: 2011-2012 school year
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Kentucky
38,490 graduates
Passed: 2016
Effective: 2016-2017 school year
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Louisiana
35,720 graduates
Passed: 2014
Implemented: 2014-2015 school year
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Maryland
56,990 graduates
Passed: 2014
Implemented: 2015-2016 school year (starting with ninth-grade class)
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Minnesota
56,320 graduates
Passed: 2012
Implemented: 2014-2015 school year
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Mississippi
25,720 graduates
Passed: 2014
Implemented: 2015-2016 school year (starting with ninth-grade class)
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Read 2015 amendment
New Jersey
92,220 graduates
Passed: 2014
Implemented: 2014-2015 school year (starting with ninth-grade class)
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New Mexico
18,480 graduates
Passed: 2016
Implemented: 2017-2018 school year (starting with ninth-grade class)
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New York
193,480 graduates
Curriculum changed: 2015
Implemented: 2015-2016 school year
Read curriculum
North Carolina
88,040 graduates
Passed: 2012
Implemented: 2014-2015 school year
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North Dakota
6,980 graduates
Curriculum changed: 2015
Implemented: 2015-2016 school year
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Oklahoma
37,300 graduates
Passed: 2014
Implemented: 2015-2016 school year
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Oregon
34,490 graduates
Passed: 2015
Implemented: 2015-2016 school year
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Rhode Island
9,460 graduates
Passed: 2013
Implemented: 2013-2014 school year
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South Carolina
39,450 graduates
Passed: 2016
Effective: 2017-2018 school year
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Tennessee
58,600 graduates
Passed: 2012
Implemented: 2012-2013 school year
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Texas
291,830 graduates
Passed: 2013
Implemented: 2014-2015 school year
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Utah
31,860 graduates
Curriculum changed: 2014
Implemented: 2014-2015 school year
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Vermont
6,070 graduates
Passed: 2012
Implemented: 2012-2013 school year
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Virginia
79,900 graduates
Passed: 2013
Implemented: 2016-2017 school year (starting with ninth-grade class)
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Washington
65,310 graduates
Passed: 2013
Implemented: 2013-2014 school year
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West Virginia
16,740 graduates
Passed: 2015
Implemented: 2015-2016 school year
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Wisconsin
60,460 graduates
Passed: 2016
Effective: 2017-2018 school year
Read law
States That Do Not Require CPR Education Before Graduation
- Alaska
- California
- Colorado
- Florida
- Hawaii
- Kansas
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- South Dakota
- Wyoming