Skip to main content

Assemblymember Rodriguez’s Legislation to Expand ‘STOP THE BLEED’ Training in Schools Passes the Assembly Appropriations Committee

For immediate release:

(Sacramento, CA) – Today, Assembly Bill (AB) 71, authored by Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez (D – Pomona), passed out of the Assembly Committee on Appropriations with unanimous support. This bill is now heading to the Assembly Floor for a vote before moving to the Senate. AB 71 would require the Instructional Quality Commission to consider including content regarding bleeding control the next time the Health Education Curriculum Framework is updated. AB 71 would also require the California Department of Education to post resources on bleeding control on its website.

“Mass shootings are devastating communities nationwide almost daily, including today in Atlanta. As Chair of the Emergency Management Committee, I always say we cannot predict disasters, so we must prepare for them. Mass shootings are also unpredictable, so we must prepare Californians by providing ‘STOP THE BLEED’ training to save lives when tragedy strikes,” stated Assemblymember Rodriguez.  

In response to the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, a group of doctors convened a panel of experts to create an improved response system directed primarily at controlling life-threatening blood loss. Among their findings, these experts concluded that bystanders should be trained and empowered to serve as “immediate responders” and stop a hemorrhage to save lives.

recent study found that students were more likely to help an injured person after taking a bleeding control methods course (80.8% compared to 43.8%). Another study conducted at the Uniformed Services University found “just-in-time” instructions doubled the successful placement of a tourniquet (20.41% to 44.14%). Additionally, a third study found that a fifteen-minute web-based training coupled with the “just-in-time” instructions increased success rates to nearly 75%.

“As a career first responder, I understand how crucial those first few minutes are in saving someone suffering from severe blood loss, as they can die within just five minutes. California students are growing up in a world where mass shootings are increasing in frequency. Providing ‘STOP THE BLEED’ training in schools will empower our students with life-saving skills they can take into adulthood,” added Assemblymember Rodriguez. 

Assemblymember Rodriguez (Twitter) represents the 53rd Assembly District which includes the cities of Chino, Montclair, Ontario, Pomona, and Upland. He is Chair of the Assembly Committee on Emergency Management.