OLYMPIA, Wash. — Every Washington school district would be required to keep bleeding control equipment designed for a traumatic injury and a semiautomatic external defibrillator on all campuses under a proposed bill.
Senate Bill 5790 would require this medical equipment to be in all schools by the beginning of the 2026-27 school year.
The bill is set for a public hearing in the House on Thursday. The bill passed out of the state Senate unanimously on Jan. 31.
The bleeding control equipment would have to be stored in an "easily accessible area" of each campus and include all of the following: a tourniquet approved for "battlefield trauma care," a compression bandage, bleeding control bandage, latex-free gloves, permanent markers, scissors and documents detailing methods to prevent blood loss following a traumatic event.
Districts would be required to have two employees per school who have completed the required training to use the equipment. Schools with more than 1,000 students would need to have one trained employee for every 500 students. The training could be sourced from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the American College of Surgeons or similar organizations.
At least one semiautomatic external defibrillator would also be required on each campus. Semiautomatic defibrillators are a less expensive option than automated defibrillators, according to the bill report, but do require more user knowledge and control.
These requirements would also apply to charter schools and state-tribal education compact schools.
