HB 687

As Reported by the House Arts, Athletics, and Tourism Committee
136th General Assembly
   Regular Session  Sub. H. B. No. 687
       2025-2026
  Representative Schmidt
  Cosponsor: Representative Ghanbari
  To amend sections 755.13, 3313.717, 3314.16, and       1
  3701.851 and to enact section 3701.852 of the       2
  Revised Code regarding staffing requirements in     3
  athletic facilities with staff trained in  4
  automated external defibrillation and  5
  cardiopulmonary resuscitation, placement of  6
  automated external defibrillators in school-        7
  related locations, and emergency action plans       8
  adopted by sports and recreation locations and      9
  schools.  10
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
     Section 1. That sections 755.13, 3313.717, 3314.16, and       11
3701.851 be amended and section 3701.852 of the Revised Code be    12
enacted to read as follows:  13
     Sec. 755.13. (A) The authority to supervise and maintain      14
parks, playgrounds, playfields, gymnasiums, public baths,  15
swimming pools, or indoor recreation centers, may be vested in     16
any existing body or board, or in a recreation board, as the       17
legislative authority of the municipal corporation, the board of   18
township trustees, or the board of county commissioners  19
determines. The local authorities of any such municipal  20
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corporation, township, or county may equip, develop, operate,  21
and maintain such facilities as authorized by sections 755.12 to  22
755.18 of the Revised Code. Such local authorities may, for the  23
purpose of carrying out such sections, employ play leaders,  24
recreation directors, supervisors, superintendents, or any other  25
officers or employees, and may procure and pay all or any part  26
of the cost of a policy or policies insuring such officers or  27
employees against liability on account of damage or injury to  28
persons or property arising from the performance of their  29
official duties.  30
       (B) The board of township trustees may expend funds from  31
the township general fund, or revenue derived from property  32
taxes levied for parks and recreational purposes, for the public  33
purpose of presenting community events that are open to the  34
public at such parks, playgrounds, playfields, gymnasiums,  35
public baths, swimming pools, or indoor recreation centers.  36
       (C) The board of county commissioners may adopt rules for  37
the preservation of good order within parks, playfields, and  38
reservations of land under its jurisdiction and on adjacent  39
highways, rivers, riverbanks, and lakes, and the preservation of  40
property and natural life therein. Such rules shall be published  41
in a newspaper of general circulation within the county once a  42
week for two consecutive weeks, or as provided in section 7.16  43
of the Revised Code, before taking effect. In counties in which  44
no newspaper is generally circulated, notice shall be  45
accomplished by posting copies in not less than five of the most  46
public places in the district, as determined by the board of  47
county commissioners, for a period of not less than fifteen days  48
before the rules take effect. The rules shall be enforced by a  49
"law enforcement officer" as defined in section 2901.01 of the  50
Revised Code. No person shall violate a rule adopted under this  51
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division. Whoever violates a rule adopted under this division  52
shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars. If the  53
offender has previously been convicted of a violation of the  54
rule, the offender shall be fined not more than five hundred  55
dollars. All fines collected for any violation of any rule  56
adopted under this division shall be paid into the general fund  57
of the county treasury.  58
        (D)(1) Except as provided in division (D)(2) of this  59
section, the controlling authority of each sports and recreation  60
location shall do all of the following:  61
        (a) Require the placement of an automated external  62
defibrillator in each sports and recreation location, under the  63
authority's control, at any time that the location is hosting an  64
organized youth sport activity;  65
        (b) Require that a sufficient number of the staff persons  66
of each sports and recreation location successfully complete an  67
appropriate training course in the use of an automated external  68
defibrillator as described in section 3701.85 of the Revised  69
Code;  70
        (c) Adopt an emergency action plan for the use of  71
automated external defibrillators and may use the model plan  72
developed by the department of health under section 3701.851 of  73
the Revised Code;  74
        (d) Require review and evaluation of the adopted emergency  75
action plan at least annually.  76
        (2) Division (D)(1) of this section does not apply to a  77
village if the population of the village is less than five  78
thousand, and does not apply to a township if the population of  79
the unincorporated area of the township is less than five  80
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thousand.  81
        (E) As used in this section:  82
        (1) "Automated external defibrillator" has the same  83
meaning as in section 2305.235 of the Revised Code.  84
        (2) "Sports and recreation location" means indoor  85
recreation centers and facilities, gymnasiums, swimming pools,  86
and playing fields that are designated, operated, and maintained  87
for those uses as authorized by sections 755.12 to 755.18 of the  88
Revised Code.  89
        Sec. 3313.717. (A) As used in this section, "automated  90
external defibrillator" means a specialized defibrillator that  91
is approved for use as a medical device by the United States  92
food and drug administration for performing automated external  93
defibrillation, as defined in section 2305.235 of the Revised  94
Code.  95
        (B)(1) The board of education of each school district  96
shall require the placement of an automated external  97
defibrillator in each school under the control of the board, and  98
in any other school-related location that is required by the  99
model plan developed by the department of health under section  100
3701.851 of the Revised Code. Not later than July 1, 2018,  101
persons employed by a school district shall receive training  102
pursuant to section 3313.6023 of the Revised Code in the use of  103
an automated external defibrillator in accordance with that  104
section.  105
        (2) The administrative authority of each chartered  106
nonpublic school shall require the placement of an automated  107
external defibrillator in each school under the control of the  108
authority, and in any other school-related location that is  109
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required by the model plan developed by the department of health  110
under section 3701.851 of the Revised Code. The authority also  111
shall require that persons assigned to each school under the  112
control of the authority, as set forth in division (A) of  113
section 3313.6023 of the Revised Code, successfully complete an  114
appropriate training course in the use of an automated external  115
defibrillator as described in section 3701.85 of the Revised  116
Code.  117
        (3) Each district board and administrative authority shall  118
adopt an emergency action plan for the use of automated external  119
defibrillators and may use the model plan developed by the  120
department of health under section 3701.851 of the Revised Code  121
or adopt a plan based on standards set by nationally recognized  122
organizations. The adopted emergency action plan shall be  123
reviewed and evaluated at least annually.  124
        (C) In regard to the use of an automated external  125
defibrillator that is placed in a school or school-related  126
location as specified in this section, and except in the case of  127
willful or wanton misconduct or when there is no good faith  128
attempt to activate an emergency medical services system in  129
accordance with section 3701.85 of the Revised Code, no person  130
shall be held liable in civil damages for injury, death, or loss  131
to person or property, or held criminally liable, for performing  132
automated external defibrillation in good faith, regardless of  133
whether the person has obtained appropriate training on how to  134
perform automated external defibrillation or successfully  135
completed a course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.  136
        (D) The department of education and workforce shall  137
develop a procedure whereby persons may report violations of  138
this section.  139
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        Sec. 3314.16. (A)(1) As used in this section, "automated  140
external defibrillator" means a specialized defibrillator that  141
is approved for use as a medical device by the United States  142
food and drug administration for performing automated external  143
defibrillation, as defined in section 2305.235 of the Revised  144
Code.  145
        (2) This section does not apply to an internet- or  146
computer-based community school.  147
        (B) The governing authority of a community school  148
established under this chapter shall require the placement of an  149
automated external defibrillator in each school under the  150
control of the governing authority, and in any other school-  151
related location that is required by the model plan developed by  152
the department of health under section 3701.851 of the Revised  153
Code. The governing authority also shall require that persons  154
assigned to each school under the control of the governing  155
authority, as set forth in division (A) of section 3313.6023 of  156
the Revised Code, successfully complete an appropriate training  157
course in the use of an automated external defibrillator as  158
described in section 3701.85 of the Revised Code.  159
        The governing authority shall adopt an emergency action  160
plan for the use of automated external defibrillators and may  161
use the model plan developed by the department of health under  162
section 3701.851 of the Revised Code or adopt a plan based on  163
standards set by nationally recognized organizations. The  164
adopted emergency action plan shall be reviewed and evaluated at  165
least annually.  166
        (C) In regard to the use of an automated external  167
defibrillator that is placed in a community school or school-  168
related location as specified in this section, and except in the  169
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case of willful or wanton misconduct or when there is no good  170
faith attempt to activate an emergency medical services system  171
in accordance with section 3701.85 of the Revised Code, no  172
person shall be held liable in civil damages for injury, death,  173
or loss to person or property, or held criminally liable, for  174
performing automated external defibrillation in good faith,  175
regardless of whether the person has obtained appropriate  176
training on how to perform automated external defibrillation or  177
successfully completed a course in cardiopulmonary  178
resuscitation.  179
       (D) The department of education and workforce shall  180
develop a procedure whereby persons may report violations of  181
this section.  182
       Sec. 3701.851. (A) The department of health shall develop  183
a model emergency action plan for the use of automated external  184
defibrillators by public and chartered nonpublic schools, youth  185
sports organizations, athletic facilities, as that term is  186
defined in section 3707.50 of the Revised Code, and sports and  187
recreation locations, as that term is defined in section 755.13  188
of the Revised Code. The model emergency action plan All of the  189
following apply to the model emergency action plan:  190
       (1) It shall be based on standards set by nationally  191
recognized organizations that are focused on emergency  192
cardiovascular care.  193
       (2) It shall clearly identify locations of automated  194
external defibrillators and require the plan to be practiced at  195
least quarterly.  196
       (3) In the case of public and chartered nonpublic schools,  197
it shall specify school-related locations, such as athletic  198
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facilities and gymnasiums, playing fields, or other school  199
sports locations, that require the placement of an automated  200
external defibrillator, as specified in sections 3313.717 and  201
3314.16 of the Revised Code. Required placement at school-  202
related locations may be based on proximity to the school or  203
other factors the department considers appropriate after  204
considering any standards set by nationally recognized  205
organizations that are focused on emergency cardiovascular care.  206
       (B) The department shall develop a procedure whereby  207
persons may report violations of section 755.13 of the Revised  208
Code by a sports and recreation location, section 3701.852 of  209
the Revised Code by an athletic facility, or section 3707.58 of  210
the Revised Code by a youth sports organization.  211
       Sec. 3701.852. (A) As used in this section:  212
       (1) "Athletic facility" means a privately owned athletic  213
training, exercise, or sports facility that is open to the  214
public.  215
       (2) "Automated external defibrillation" has the same  216
meaning as in section 2305.235 of the Revised Code.  217
       (3) "Automated external defibrillator" has the same  218
meaning as in section 3313.717 of the Revised Code.  219
       (B) Except as provided in division (D) of this section,  220
each athletic facility that maintains an automated external  221
defibrillator on its premises shall do the following:  222
       (1) Require all staff members who may be on premises  223
during hours of operation to demonstrate competency in using an  224
automated external defibrillator in accordance with division (B)  225
(2) of this section;  226
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       (2) Train all staff to use an automated external  227
defibrillator based on the manufacturer's recommendations for  228
the automated external defibrillator in use on the athletic  229
facility's premises and require all staff to demonstrate  230
competency using the automated external defibrillator. Each  231
athletic facility staff member hired on or after the effective  232
date of this section shall demonstrate competency not later than  233
ninety days after date of hire and annually thereafter. Each  234
staff member who is employed by the athletic facility prior to  235
the effective date of this section shall demonstrate competency  236
not later than ninety days after the effective date of this  237
section. The athletic facility shall develop and maintain policy  238
and procedures for automated external defibrillator competency  239
and maintain documentation of staff competency.  240
       (3) Adopt an emergency action plan for the defibrillator's  241
use, which may be based on the model plan developed by the  242
department of health under section 3701.851 of the Revised Code.  243
       (C) Except as provided in division (D) of this section, if  244
an athletic facility does not maintain an automated external  245
defibrillator on its premises, it shall have at least one staff  246
member who has successfully completed a cardiopulmonary  247
resuscitation training course on duty while customers are on its  248
premises.  249
       (D) This section does not apply to an athletic facility  250
that does not have staff or does not have any staff members on  251
duty while customers are on its premises as part of its regular  252
staffing schedule.  253
       Section 2. That existing sections 755.13, 3313.717,  254
3314.16, and 3701.851 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.  255