SB 868 Pupil safety: trauma kits is a Senate bill in Sacramento that would add a Stop the Bleed kit to classrooms in California schools. It was authored by Senator Wilk and co-authored by Assemblymember Rodriguez and sponsored by the California Chapters of the American College of Surgeons. It has bipartisan and bicameral support.
Why is SB 868 necessary?
Severe bleeding injuries can occur anywhere, at home, at work, on the highway, in rural settings, industrial settings, and also in schools. The author was inspired to write a bill after his daughter’s classmate suffered a gunshot injury at school, and was saved by application of bystander Stop the Bleed techniques. The current focus of the Stop the Bleed program is to close the gap between the time of injury to the arrival of first responders, by allowing immediate responders, such as bystanders to have access to Stop the Bleed kits.
Will school children be taught Stop the Bleed?
A different bill, AB 71-Pupil instruction: bleeding control going through the legislature this year, which would provide a curriculum for Stop the Bleed training. It is envisioned that this would be added to high school students’ health education classes, which is an elective class and already teaches CPR, a different skill.
What will it cost?
A Senate analysis $9.8 million to $23.4 million statewide. This estimate assumes a cost of between $50 and $100 for each trauma kit for each individual classroom in the state. This does not include the cost of training, although Stop the Bleed training is free and includes on-line training.