Legislation Equipping California Students with Life-Saving Tools and Resources Clears Senate Education Committee

(Sacramento, CA) – Today, Assembly Bill (AB) 71, authored by Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez (D – Pomona), passed the Senate Committee on Education with a vote of 7-0. This legislation would require the Instructional Quality Commission to consider including information on bleeding control methods in the Health Framework for California Public Schools curriculum for adoption by the State Board of Education. The California Department of Education would also be required to have a list of resources and instructional materials on bleeding control on the department’s website.

“As a career first responder, I know firsthand how crucial it is to take action in the first few minutes of an emergency. That is why in 2016, I authored AB 1719, which required CPR training as a standard part of the high school health curriculum. Now that mass casualty events have increased in frequency, I find it essential to provide information to students on bleeding control to ensure they are prepared to help someone suffering from severe blood loss,” stated Assemblymember Rodriguez.

A 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 “just-in-time” instructions increased success rates to nearly 75%.

Other states have already passed legislation in an effort to empower and train their residents to ‘STOP THE BLEED.’ For example, Texas and Indiana have passed laws to place trauma kits in schools while providing training. Furthermore, Georgia included the cost of installing trauma kits in schools in the state’s budget. 

“In California, we tend to be ahead of the game and lead the nation. As other states have already enacted legislation to better prepare their students to save lives in a mass bleeding incident, AB 71 will allow California to follow their important lead and prepare our students with these critical lifesaving skills,” stated 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.