This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the Eric Paredes Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act.
Article 13.5The Eric Paredes Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act
Section § 33479
This law is called the Eric Paredes Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act, which addresses measures to prevent sudden cardiac arrest.
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Section § 33479.1
This section defines terms related to school athletic activities. 'Athletic activity' includes all school-sponsored sports, cheerleading, competitions, and practices. An 'authorized person' is someone allowed to provide health services to student athletes. 'School' refers to any public or private school, including charter schools, that host athletic activities.
For purposes of this article, the following definitions apply:
(a)CA Education Code § 33479.1(a) “Athletic activity” includes all of the following:
(1)CA Education Code § 33479.1(a)(1) Interscholastic athletics.
(2)CA Education Code § 33479.1(a)(2) An athletic contest or competition, other than interscholastic athletics, that is sponsored by a school, including cheerleading and club-sponsored sports activities.
(3)CA Education Code § 33479.1(a)(3) Noncompetitive cheerleading that is sponsored by a school.
(4)CA Education Code § 33479.1(a)(4) Practices, interscholastic practices, and scrimmages for all of
the activities listed under paragraphs (1) to (3), inclusive.
(b)CA Education Code § 33479.1(b) “Authorized person” means an employee, volunteer, or contractor authorized to provide health or medical services to pupil athletes.
(c)CA Education Code § 33479.1(c) “School” means a public school, including a charter school, or private school that elects to conduct athletic activities.
athletic activity interscholastic athletics cheerleading club-sponsored sports school sports competitions noncompetitive cheerleading school-sponsored sports health services for athletes student athletes charter schools private school athletics public school sports sport practices athletic scrimmages volunteer health services
Section § 33479.2
This section requires the education department to share online guidelines, videos, and information on sudden cardiac arrest symptoms and warning signs. It aims to educate students, parents, and train coaches on the risks of continuing physical activity after experiencing certain symptoms like fainting or unexplained shortness of breath. The department may use materials from recognized foundations and organizations. Schools are also encouraged to post this information online for easy access by students, parents, and coaches.
(a)CA Education Code § 33479.2(a) The department shall post on its Internet Web site guidelines, videos, and an information sheet on sudden cardiac arrest symptoms and warning signs, and other relevant materials to inform and educate pupils and parents, and to train coaches about the nature and warning signs of sudden cardiac arrest, including the risks associated with continuing to play or practice after experiencing fainting or seizures during exercise, unexplained shortness of breath, chest pains, dizziness, racing heart rate, or extreme fatigue.
(b)CA Education Code § 33479.2(b) Materials posted by the department on its Internet Web site may include, but are not necessarily limited to, those developed or used for
sudden cardiac arrest education and coaches training by the National Federation of High School Associations, the Eric Paredes Save A Life Foundation, or the California Interscholastic Federation.
(c)CA Education Code § 33479.2(c) School districts and schools are encouraged to post on their Internet Web sites the information and material required to be posted by the department pursuant to subdivision (a) to give pupils, parents, and coaches ready access to the information.
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Section § 33479.3
Before students take part in school athletic activities, schools must get and keep a signed form acknowledging they've read information about sudden cardiac arrest. This applies to activities governed by the California Interscholastic Federation, requiring their specific form, and to other activities, where students and parents sign a form from the school's website.
Each school year, before a pupil participates in an athletic activity governed by the California Interscholastic Federation, the school shall collect and retain a copy of the sudden cardiac arrest information sheet required by the California Interscholastic Federation for that pupil. Before a pupil participates in an athletic activity not governed by the California Interscholastic Federation, the pupil and the pupil’s parent or guardian shall sign and return to the pupil’s school an acknowledgment of receipt and review of the information sheet posted on the department’s Internet Web site pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 33479.2.
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Section § 33479.4
This law allows schools to organize informational meetings at the start of each sports season to educate about the symptoms and warning signs of sudden cardiac arrest. These meetings can include students, parents, coaches, school officials, as well as medical professionals and trainers.
A school may hold an informational meeting before the start of each athletic season for all ages of competitors regarding the symptoms and warning signs of sudden cardiac arrest. In addition to pupils, parents, coaches, and other school officials, informational meetings may include physicians, pediatric cardiologists, athletic trainers, and authorized persons.
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Section § 33479.5
If a student faints or passes out during or right after a sports activity, they must be taken out of play immediately by a coach or trainer. If they show symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest, they can be removed if it's thought to be heart-related. Coaches must inform parents if no trainer is available. To return to play, the student needs written clearance from a medical professional. This rule doesn't apply to normal school day activities unless they are sports practices or games.
(a)CA Education Code § 33479.5(a) A pupil who passes out or faints while participating in or immediately following an athletic activity, or who is known to have passed out or fainted while participating in or immediately following an athletic activity, shall be removed from participation at that time by the athletic director, coach, athletic trainer, or authorized person.
(b)CA Education Code § 33479.5(b) A pupil who exhibits any of the other symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest, as described in subdivision (a) of Section
33479.2, during an athletic activity, may be removed from participation by an athletic trainer or authorized person if the athletic trainer or authorized person reasonably believes that the symptoms are cardiac related. In the absence of an athletic trainer or authorized person, any coach who observes any of the symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest shall notify the parent or guardian of the pupil so that the parent or guardian can determine what treatment, if any, the pupil should seek.
(c)CA Education Code § 33479.5(c) A pupil who is removed from play under this section shall not be permitted to return to participate in an athletic activity until the pupil is evaluated and cleared to return to participate in writing by a physician and surgeon, or a nurse practitioner or physician assistant practicing in accordance with standardized procedures or protocols developed by the supervising physician and surgeon and the nurse practitioner or physician assistant, as applicable.
(d)CA Education Code § 33479.5(d) This section does not apply to a pupil engaging in an athletic activity during the regular schoolday or as part of a physical education course required pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 51220 unless it constitutes a practice, interscholastic practice, or scrimmage pursuant to paragraph (4) of subdivision (a) of Section
33479.1.
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Section § 33479.6
Coaches of athletic activities are required to complete a sudden cardiac arrest training course and must repeat the training every two years. They cannot coach until they've completed this training.
(a)CA Education Code § 33479.6(a) A coach of an athletic activity shall complete the sudden cardiac arrest training course specified in Section 33479.2 and shall retake the training course every two years thereafter.
(b)CA Education Code § 33479.6(b) A coach of an athletic activity shall not be eligible to coach an athletic activity until the coach completes the training course required under subdivision (a).
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Section § 33479.7
If a coach breaks specific safety-related rules, they can't coach any sports until they finish certain training programs.
On and after July 1, 2019, a coach who violates Section 33479.6 shall be subject to suspension from coaching any athletic activity until completion of the required training.
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Section § 33479.8
This law section suggests that those who organize sports for kids should adhere to the recommendations outlined in the related guidelines.
The sponsors of youth athletic activities are encouraged to follow the guidelines specified in this article.
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