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CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

93

Introduced by Assembly Member Alanis

February 3, 2025

An act to amend Sections 124238 and 124238.5 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to youth health.

Vote: majority   Appropriation: no   Fiscal committee: no   Local program: no

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Existing law, the Nevaeh Youth Sports Safety Act, requires a youth sports organization to ensure, by January 1, 2028, that its athletes have access to an automated external defibrillator (AED) during any official practice or match. Existing law requires a youth sports organization, commencing January 1, 2028, to ensure that its AED is maintained and tested according to specified operation and maintenance guidelines.

This bill would require, commencing January 1, 2028, a public or private local facility with a permanent sports infrastructure, as defined, to ensure that the youth sports organization has access to an AED procured and maintained by the facility during an official practice or match permitted by the facility, except as specified with respect to local educational agencies. The bill would require the youth sports organization, commencing January 1, 2028, to ensure there is access to an operational AED if an AED is not available at a public or private local facility where an official practice or match is taking place. The bill would additionally require a public or private local facility, commencing January 1, 2028, to ensure that its AED is maintained and tested according to specified operation and maintenance guidelines. The bill would require a public or private local facility to work in collaboration with the youth sports organization to ensure that any AED that is installed be accessible to youth sports organizations at the time of official practices or matches permitted by the facility. The bill would require a public or private local facility that has installed an AED to work with the youth sports organization to identify means to share the financial costs associated with ensuring the AED is maintained and accessible at the facility, or to identify means to share the financial costs associated with installing an AED at the facility.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 124238 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:

124238.

For purposes of this article, the following definitions apply:

(a) “Coach” means a person appointed by the youth sports organization to supervise or instruct a participant in a sport.

(b) “Official practice or match” means a sport session in which live action or one or more drills are conducted, or a match, as scheduled by the youth sports organization, the coach, or other designee of the organization.

(c) “Permanent sports infrastructure” means a fixed, nontemporary facility or structure designed and maintained for the purpose of hosting organized sports activities that is regularly permitted, rented, leased, or otherwise granted permission of use for youth sports programs.

(d) “Youth sports organization” has the same meaning as set forth in Section 124235.

SEC. 2.

Section 124238.5 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:

124238.5.

(a) (1) A youth sports organization that elects to offer an athletic program shall ensure that its athletes have access to an automated external defibrillator (AED) during any official practice or match, subject to subdivisions (b) and (c).

(2) During an official practice or match permitted by any public or private local facility with a permanent sports infrastructure, the facility may procure and maintain an AED and, in these cases, shall ensure that the youth sports organization has access to the AED.

(3) (A) A local educational agency is not deemed to have procured or maintained an AED pursuant to paragraph (2) unless either of the following has been met:

(i) The AED is in the same common area of the building where the official practice or match is taking place.

(ii) The AED is in the same outdoor field where the official practice or match is taking place, or attached externally to a building and is reasonably accessible from where the official practice or match is taking place.

(B) For purposes of this paragraph, a local educational agency shall not be required to have staff remain onsite to provide access to an AED to a youth sports organization.

(4) If an AED is not available at a public or private local facility where an official practice or match is taking place, the youth sports organization shall ensure there is access to one that is operational and has it available during the entire practice or match.

(5) This subdivision shall become operative on January 1, 2028.

(b) A youth sports organization shall ensure that its coaches are certified, and recertified at least every two years, to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation and operate an AED and that there is a written cardiac emergency response plan. Certified training may be conducted in person or online and shall be offered by an accredited organization, consistent with national evidence-based cardiovascular care guidelines. The written cardiac emergency response plan shall be reviewed annually with coaches and staff. The written emergency response plan shall be consistent with nationally recognized, evidence-based standards and shall detail all of the following:

(1) The location of any AEDs and procedures to be followed in the event of sudden cardiac arrest.

(2) The responsibilities of the coach, administration, and athletes during the event.

(3) How the coach, administration, and athletes will be notified and trained on the emergency response plan.

(4) An annual electronic communication to the parents or guardians of enrolled participants that includes the cardiac emergency response plan or an internet link to the plan, the location or locations of any AEDs, and identifies the staff members designated to be notified in the event of a sudden cardiac event.

(c) (1) Commencing January 1, 2028, a public or private local facility and a youth sports organization shall ensure that its AED is maintained and tested according to the operation and maintenance guidelines established by the manufacturer of that AED and the applicable rules and regulations of the federal Food and Drug Administration or any other applicable state or federal authority.

(2) A public or private local facility that is already maintaining or testing an AED pursuant to another statutory requirement is deemed to have met the requirement of paragraph (1).

(d) (1) A public or private local facility shall work in collaboration with the youth sports organization to ensure that any AED that is installed at the public or private local facility is accessible to youth sports organizations at the time of official practices or matches permitted by the facility.

(2) A public or private local facility that has installed an AED at the facility shall work with the youth sports organization to identify means to share the financial costs associated with ensuring the AED is maintained and accessible at the facility, or to identify means to share the financial costs associated with installing an AED at the facility.