Which states require AEDs in schools
In 36 states, the law requires AEDs in schools or at school sports. Here is each state with a school AED rule or a school cardiac plan rule, with its conditions.
| State | AEDs required in schools | School cardiac emergency plan |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Every public K-12 school; Athletic spaces on public and nonpublic school property, such as stadiums, fields and gyms (whenever students or staff are there; since October 1, 2025); School-sponsored athletic events and practices (since October 1, 2025) | Yes Beginning in 2025-2026, every public and nonpublic preK-12 school must adopt a cardiac emergency response plan, plus a separate athletics plan if it has an athletic program. Plans need a response team, staff CPR/AED training, AED placement and maintenance, drills, annual review and EMS coordination (Ala. Code § 16-30D-21). |
| Arizona | Every public high school campus with a sports program (since August 1, 2026); Athletic events at those high schools (since August 1, 2026) | No No law requires school cardiac emergency response plans. SB 1131 (2026), first titled as a school cardiac plan bill, was held in the House. |
| Arkansas | Every public and charter school campus; School sporting events for grades 7 to 12 (since 2023) | Yes Starting in 2025-2026, each school must build a cardiac emergency response protocol into its emergency operations plan, at its next plan revision and no later than 2026-2027. The plan needs a response team, AED placement and upkeep, staff CPR/AED training, annual drills and EMS integration (Ark. Code § 6-18-713(g); Act 352 of 2025). |
| California | Every school that offers interscholastic athletics (at least one AED, available at on-campus athletic events) | Yes School districts and charter schools that offer interscholastic athletics must have a written emergency action plan for sudden cardiac arrest that shows where emergency equipment is and, since July 1, 2024, how often the steps are rehearsed (Education Code § 35179.4). It covers athletic activities and events, not the whole school day. |
| Connecticut | Every public school (unless no funding is available for the AED and training); School-sponsored athletic practices and events on school grounds (same funding condition) | Yes Since July 1, 2010, every school must have an emergency action response plan for sudden cardiac arrest, and schools with athletic programs a separate one (§ 10-212d(b)-(c)). |
| Delaware | Athletic venues at Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association member schools (during all practices and contests, and reachable during the school day) | Yes Every DIAA member school with an interscholastic athletic program must keep a written, venue-specific emergency action plan for sudden cardiac arrest, give it to athletic staff yearly, post it at each venue and rehearse it at least yearly (14 Del. Admin. Code 1034 § 9.0, rule text of March 1, 2026; 14 Del. C. § 303(f)(2), added 2025). |
| District of Columbia | Every school: DC Public Schools, public charter, independent, private and parochial (At least one AED, placed where the school cardiac emergency response plan says and per AHA, Red Cross or similar guidelines.) | Yes Every school in the District (DC Public Schools, public charter, independent, private and parochial) had to adopt and carry out a cardiac emergency response plan by the start of School Year 2025-2026, using the Fire and EMS model plan as a guide (D.C. Code § 7-2371.02c(a)(1), (a-1); D.C. Law 25-254, effective Dec. 17, 2024). |
| Florida | Public schools in the Florida High School Athletic Association (at every athletic contest and practice, with a trained person present); Every public school, including charter schools (by July 1, 2027) | Yes Every public school must develop a plan for urgent life-saving emergencies (PULSE) for sudden cardiac arrest on school grounds, built on evidence-based elements such as the AHA's, and fold it into local EMS protocols (Fla. Stat. § 1003.457(1)-(2), effective July 1, 2025). State Board of Education rules will fill in the details (§ 1003.457(4)). |
| Georgia | Every public K-12 school (at least one working AED on site at all times) | Yes Every public K-12 school must have a written cardiac emergency action plan, a trained internal response team of five or more staff, and, starting in 2025-2026, at least two practice drills a year, one per semester (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-775(c)(5)-(7), as amended by HB 874, effective July 1, 2024). |
| Illinois | Staff-supervised pools, fields, courts and stadiums run by local governments, schools and colleges (same 100-person threshold as fitness facilities); Every public school attendance center (during the school day and school activities on school grounds) | Yes Since January 1, 2025, every school district and private school must have a cardiac emergency response plan, shared with staff, that lists each AED and its maintenance schedule (105 ILCS 128/60). |
| Indiana | School athletic events and other higher-risk activities such as cheerleading, marching band and drama (public, charter and accredited nonpublic schools, as each venue plan sets out) | Yes Public, charter and state accredited nonpublic schools must write an emergency action plan for sudden cardiac arrest for each venue and share it with coaches, leaders and students before each season. Mandatory since July 1, 2025 (optional before). From July 1, 2026 the plan must set how many AEDs each event needs and where (IC 20-34-8-9(f)). |
| Kansas | No school AED rule | Yes Since July 1, 2024, each school district board must adopt a cardiac emergency response plan covering every attendance center, based on KDHE's statewide standards. It must place AEDs, form a response team and plan for off-site events. Boards review it yearly and send KDHE a copy (K.S.A. 72-6288). |
| Kentucky | Every public school building (each school under a local board of education), elementary schools included since July 15, 2024; School-sanctioned athletic practices and competitions at public schools (as funds become available) | Yes Since June 29, 2023, every public school's emergency plan must include a written cardiac emergency response plan and an AED location map. It goes to staff and first responders, is reviewed yearly, and is rehearsed before each athletic season (KRS 158.162(2)). |
| Louisiana | Every elementary, middle and high school; Interscholastic athletic events (with a trained AED user at the event) | Yes Since the 2024-25 school year, every elementary, middle and high school (not only public ones) and every college must have a written cardiac emergency response plan for athletic events, prepared with local emergency responders. It covers a response team, AED placement and upkeep, staff training, drills, EMS integration and yearly review (R.S. 40:1137.3(E); LAC 48:I.6105). |
| Maine | School-sponsored athletic events and practices on school property (from the 2027-28 school year) | Yes Every school administrative unit must adopt and carry out an athletic emergency action plan, based on national heart health or athletic training group advice, for staff AED use at school-sponsored athletic events and practices on school property (20-A M.R.S. § 6304-B, law since January 2026). It covers athletics only. |
| Maryland | Every public middle and high school; Athletic practices and events at public middle and high schools (on school property, within a brief walk); Athletic practices and events at state-funded nonpublic middle and high schools (since July 1, 2024) | Yes Since July 1, 2024, every public middle and high school, and every state-funded nonpublic one, must include a cardiac emergency response plan in its athletic venue emergency action plan. It names a response team, ties into local EMS, requires CPR/AED training for key staff, is updated yearly and is rehearsed before each season (Educ. §§ 7-451, 7-452). |
| Massachusetts | Every school building where instruction is given; School-sponsored athletic events (with an AED provider readily available) | Yes Every public and Commonwealth charter school must have a written medical and behavioral health emergency response plan covering links to EMS, response times, CPR and first aid training access, and AED locations and trained staff. Schools drill it yearly and file it every 3 years (c. 69, § 8A). It is a general medical plan, not a cardiac-only one. |
| Michigan | No school AED rule | Yes From the 2025-26 school year, every public and nonpublic school must adopt a cardiac emergency response plan based on AHA or similar guidelines: response team, AED placement and upkeep, training, yearly drills, EMS integration and review every 3 years, including athletic events. Schools need not comply unless the Legislature appropriates sufficient funds (MCL 29.19b). |
| Minnesota | No school AED rule | Yes Starting in 2026-27, every school district and charter school must have a cardiac emergency response plan based on the state model. It must set up a response team, provide for AED placement and upkeep, be shared with local EMS, be drilled yearly, be reviewed yearly by the board, and cover off-site athletic events (§ 121A.241). |
| Mississippi | No school AED rule | Yes Since the 2024-25 school year, every public school must have a cardiac emergency response plan, and schools with athletic programs must also cover practices and events. Plans must set up a response team, plan AED placement and upkeep, train staff in CPR and AED use, drill yearly, tie in local EMS and be reviewed yearly (§ 37-11-87). |
| Missouri | Athletic venues and events at public schools with an athletic program (from 2026-27, once the state funds the AEDs) | Yes Starting in 2026-27, every public school, including charter schools, must adopt and carry out a cardiac emergency response plan built with local EMS. It must cover a response team, AED placement and upkeep, campus-wide sharing, staff CPR/AED training, yearly drills, yearly review and 911 Service Board registration (§ 160.482). |
| Montana | Athletic venues and events at schools with an athletic program (from the 2026-27 school year) | Yes Starting in 2026-27, every school district and nonpublic school with an athletic program must have a venue-specific cardiac emergency response plan, standalone or inside its safety plan, for athletic practices and events. It must cover a response team, AEDs at each venue, staff training, yearly drills, EMS integration and yearly review (§ 20-7-1339(3)). |
| Nevada | Each high school in a school district in a county of 100,000 or more people (at least one AED, centrally located) (Applies only in counties with a population of 100,000 or more.) | Yes Since July 1, 2025, the emergency operations plan for every public school (district and charter) and every private school must include a plan for responding right away to a heart emergency, including cardiac arrest (NRS 388.243(2)(n), 394.1687(2)(d)). The law lists no AED-specific plan elements. |
| New Hampshire | No school AED rule | Yes Every school district and nonpublic school with any of grades 4 to 12 must have an emergency action plan for serious sports injuries. It must list AED locations and CPR/AED-trained staff. It covers athletics only, not the whole school (RSA 200:40-c, I; in effect since Sept. 1, 2022, amended 2024 and 2025). |
| New Jersey | Every public and nonpublic school with any of grades K to 12, within reasonable reach of the athletic field or gym (Since September 1, 2014. It must be on hand all school day and at school athletic events and practices.) | Yes Every public school district and every nonpublic school with any of grades K to 12 must adopt and carry out an emergency action plan for sudden cardiac events. It must list at least five CPR/AED-certified staff, updated each semester, and assign who responds, calls 911, starts CPR and gets the AED (N.J.S.A. 18A:40-41b, P.L.2012, c.51). |
| New Mexico | Every public, charter and private school (public high schools by 2026-27; all other schools by 2027-28); School athletic games, competitions and practices (since May 20, 2026) | Yes Every public, charter and private school must adopt and carry out a cardiac emergency response plan covering school grounds and school athletic activities. Deadlines: public non-charter high schools by the 2026-2027 school year; all other schools by 2027-2028 (NMSA 22-33-6(A), (E)). |
| New York | Every instructional building of public school districts, BOCES and charter schools; Public school athletic events held away from school (with a trained staff member present); Every instructional building of nonpublic schools (since July 1, 2026); Nonpublic school athletic events held away from school (since July 1, 2026) | Yes Under Desha's Law, every school district, BOCES, county vocational education and extension board, and New York City's district must have a written cardiac emergency response plan covering school sites and school-sponsored events, from Jan. 20, 2026. Building-level plans must address sudden cardiac arrest from Sept. 1, 2025. Charter and nonpublic schools are not named (Educ. Law § 2801-a). |
| North Carolina | Every public school, including charter and state-run schools (from the 2026-27 school year, under State Board rules) | Yes Every public school unit (local school boards, charter schools, the state schools for the deaf and blind, the Northeast Regional School, and UNC-run K-12 schools) must adopt a cardiac emergency response plan with a response team, annual CPR/AED training, annual drills and EMS coordination, beginning with the 2026-2027 school year (G.S. 115C-375.6; S.L. 2026-41, § 7.38). |
| North Dakota | Public and nonpublic schools (from the 2027-28 school year, placed per American Heart Association or similar guidelines) | Yes Starting with the 2027-28 school year, each public and nonpublic school must build a cardiac emergency response plan from the state health department's template. It covers school-owned grounds and athletic venues, team activation, AED placement and upkeep, staff training, local EMS coordination and a yearly review (N.D.C.C. § 15.1-02-24). |
| Ohio | Each school under a public school district board (city, local, exempted village or joint vocational district); Each chartered nonpublic school; Each community (charter) school (Internet- or computer-based community schools are exempt.) | Yes Since October 24, 2024, every public school district board, chartered nonpublic school authority and community school governing authority must adopt an emergency action plan for using AEDs. Schools may use the Department of Health's model plan, which calls for practicing the plan at least quarterly (R.C. 3313.717(B)(3), 3314.16(B), 3701.851). |
| Oklahoma | Every school site in a school district (only if federal funds or donations are available); Athletic venues at public middle and high schools (since July 1, 2024, through each school’s cardiac plan) | Yes Since July 1, 2024, each public school must have a sudden cardiac emergency response plan: a response team with a site administrator, AED placement and maintenance, drills, EMS coordination, staff training and yearly review (70 O.S. § 24-156(I)). |
| Oregon | Every public, private and charter school campus (at least one AED per campus) | Yes Starting July 1, 2027 (first applying to the 2027-28 school year), every K-12 public or private school needs a cardiac emergency response plan that includes at least one AED, guideline-based placement in unlocked spots during school and athletics, EMS location sharing, maintenance, coach and staff training, and yearly review (2026 Or. Laws ch. 72). |
| Pennsylvania | Schools that take part in interscholastic athletics, public and nonpublic (by May 13, 2029) | Yes Each school entity (district, charter, regional or cyber charter school, intermediate unit or career and technical school) and nonpublic school in interscholastic athletics must adopt a cardiac emergency response plan with yearly review, AED placement, training numbers and yearly cardiac arrest drills, by May 13, 2029 (Public School Code § 1423.1(f); Act 17 of 2026, § 6). |
| Rhode Island | Public and private middle and high schools (with a trained person at school activities and sports); Middle and high school athletic venues (clearly marked and unlocked during practices and events) | Yes Starting with the 2027-28 school year, every public and private middle and high school must develop a cardiac emergency response plan covering staff response, AED placement, signs, maintenance, EMS notice and staff training. Schools with athletic programs also need a venue-specific athletic emergency action plan, posted and rehearsed yearly (R.I. Gen. Laws § 16-21-33.1; P.L. 2026, ch. 36 and 37). |
| South Carolina | Every public high school (subject to state funding); On-campus athletic venues at public and charter schools (from 2027-28, subject to funding); Off-site school athletic events (from 2027-28, provided by the host team) | Yes Each public school district and charter school board has to adopt a cardiac emergency response plan with a response team, drills, AED placement and upkeep, staff training, EMS coordination and yearly review, covering athletics too. Private schools that play public schools must comply for those teams. Applies from the 2027-28 school year (S.C. Code § 59-17-165, Act 108). |
| Tennessee | Every public school (at least one AED); High school athletic activities, public and private (reachable within three minutes, unlocked and marked); More AEDs in public school buildings and grounds (as each school’s cardiac plan sets out) | Yes Every local school board and public charter school governing body must adopt a cardiac emergency response plan for each school, with a response team, AED counts, training, yearly sharing and reviews, from 2024-25 (Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-2-122(c)). |
| Texas | Every campus in every Texas school district (at least one AED); University Interscholastic League (UIL) athletic competitions on a district campus (the campus AED must be readily available during the event); Private schools that received an AED, or money for one, from the Texas Education Agency (only if the school received an AED or AED funding from the state) | Yes Every school district, and any private school that got an AED or AED funds from TEA, must adopt a cardiac emergency response plan with a response team, activation steps, CPR/AED training, yearly drills and yearly review (Educ. Code § 38.018). |
| Utah | Every public school, district and charter (from 2026-27, unlocked, marked and reachable within three minutes); New or substantially remodeled public school buildings (where the State Board of Education decides) | Yes Starting with the 2026-27 school year, every public school (district or charter) must have a cardiac emergency response plan built on AHA or similar core elements, with AED placement, signage, three-minute access, trained staff, AED upkeep and EMS notice (Utah Code § 53G-9-216, effective July 1, 2026). A $200,000 grant fund helps. |
| Vermont | Athletic venues for public and approved independent school sports (since July 1, 2026, through each school’s emergency plan); Public and approved independent school buildings (since July 1, 2026) | Yes Public school districts and approved independent schools need a cardiac emergency response plan ready for the 2026-2027 school year. Each school's emergency plan must cover AED use, placement and maintenance, staff roles, CPR and AED training and drills. Schools with athletics also need an athletic emergency action plan (16 V.S.A. § 1480(d); 2025 Act 72, § 13). |
| Virginia | Every public elementary and secondary school; Public school athletic venues (reachable within three minutes, under the school’s cardiac plan) | Yes Each public elementary and secondary school has to develop and carry out a cardiac emergency response plan or an athletic emergency action plan, added in 2025. Schools with athletics must always have one in place. Plans need a response team, annual drills, AED placement, staff training, EMS integration and yearly review (§ 22.1-271.9). |
| West Virginia | School athletic events and practices (since 2021-22, with a posted emergency action plan); Every elementary and secondary school under a county board (through its cardiac emergency response plan) | Yes Every elementary and secondary school under a county board must have a cardiac emergency response plan for its grounds, plus a venue-specific plan practiced yearly if it has athletics (§ 18-5-22e). Athletic schools since 2024 (SB 602); all schools since July 2025 (SB 652). |
Read the conditions closely. Some laws cover only public schools, some only schools with athletic programs, and some apply only “subject to funding,” so a school isn’t required to buy AEDs until the state pays for them. A few states require a plan that must provide for AED placement without saying outright that schools must buy AEDs; those show a plan but no AED rule. For every requirement in a state, open its page from the AED laws by state table.
Which states require a school cardiac emergency response plan
40 jurisdictions require schools to have a cardiac emergency response plan, sometimes called an emergency action plan for sudden cardiac arrest. Most of these laws are recent.
A few examples show the range. New York’s Desha’s Law made the plan part of every district’s school safety plan from January 20, 2026. Texas requires every school district to develop a plan starting in 2025-26, in place by the 2027-28 school year. Missouri’s and Minnesota’s start in 2026-27, Rhode Island’s and North Dakota’s in 2027-28. Some states require a plan only for athletics, as New Hampshire and Maine do.
The laws share most of their content, because many follow the American Heart Association’s checklist: name a response team, place and maintain AEDs, train staff in CPR and AED use, connect with local EMS, practice the plan and review it every year. Some require drills; New York’s Desha’s Law, as passed, doesn’t. Our free cardiac emergency response plan template follows the AHA’s elements and can be adapted to your state’s law.
AEDs at school athletic events
Athletics is where school AED laws are most specific. Several states require an AED at every athletic venue or event, often within a set walk of the field, unlocked and clearly marked.
These are the states whose laws require AEDs at school sports, with each law’s conditions:
Other states reach athletics through the plan: Desha’s Law, for example, requires venue-specific procedures for athletic practices and events on school grounds. Where neither applies, the American Heart Association’s AED program guide is a sound target: place AEDs so one is no more than a three- to five-minute round trip away, which for sports means one at or near every field and gym in use.
CPR and AED training for coaches, staff and students
Many school AED laws name who must be trained, most often coaches, school nurses and athletic trainers, and some set how many trained staff each school needs.
- Texas requires school nurses, coaches, physical education teachers, band directors, cheerleading coaches and student athletic trainers to hold CPR and AED certification (Education Code § 22.902).
- Kentucky requires at least three trained employees in each school and every interscholastic coach to be trained on the AED.
- Georgia requires a trained response team of five or more staff members at each public school.
- Oklahoma requires coaches of grades 7 to 12 sports, school nurses and athletic trainers to complete first aid, CPR and AED training every year.
Many states also teach students CPR before graduation, and some include the AED. Whatever your state requires, track each person’s card: most CPR and AED certifications last two years. See how long CPR and AED certification lasts.
How schools keep AEDs inspected and ready
Follow each AED’s manufacturer schedule, usually a monthly check of the status indicator, pads, battery and cabinet, and write each check down. Several school laws require exactly that, and the rest of the plan depends on it.
New York requires school AEDs to be maintained to American Heart Association or similar guidelines, and many plan laws, from Missouri’s to North Dakota’s, require routine AED maintenance. For a district, the hard part is scale: dozens of buildings, gyms and fields, each AED with its own pad and battery dates, and staff certifications that lapse on their own schedules.
AED Log is built for that. Each school is a location, so a principal, nurse or athletic trainer sees only their own building while district safety staff see every one. Inspections are done on a phone and saved with the date and inspector, expirations warn you first, and staff CPR and AED cards are tracked. See AED management for schools and the AED inspection checklist.
AEDs in schools FAQ
How many states require AEDs in schools?
The AED law data in AED Log lists 36 states whose laws require AEDs in some or all schools or at school sports, and 40 that require a school cardiac emergency response plan. The table on this page lists each one.
Do schools have to have an AED?
In many states, yes, for some or all schools. The AED law data in AED Log lists 40 jurisdictions that require a school cardiac emergency response plan. Check your state's rules on our AEDs in schools by state page.
Do schools need an AED at sporting events?
In several states, yes: some laws require an AED at school athletic events or practices, or a plan for each athletic venue, as New York’s Desha’s Law does. Elsewhere it’s strongly recommended. Check your state’s row on this page.
What is a school cardiac emergency response plan?
A written plan for responding to sudden cardiac arrest at school: who responds, where the AEDs are, how to call EMS, staff training, drills and a yearly review. Our free template follows the American Heart Association’s checklist.
What is Desha’s Law?
A 2025 New York law that requires each school district’s safety plan to include a written cardiac emergency response plan, adds sudden cardiac arrest to staff and student safety training, and requires school AEDs to be clearly marked, accessible and maintained.