Clearly marked, accessible, and not in a locked case.
The bill changes the rules for where public schools keep their required automated external defibrillators. Principals must place each campus defibrillator in a clearly marked, accessible spot near where students play sports, and it may not sit in a locked case when students or staff are regularly on campus. Every affected school must meet these rules by the first instructional day of the 2026-2027 school year.
Labels
Labels: GOT HALFWAY. Passed the Senate on May 5, 2025. Died in the House: never got out of the Public Education committee.
relating to the availability of automated external defibrillators
at public schools.
WHAT IT DOES
Clearly marked, accessible, and not in a locked case.
The bill changes the rules for where public schools keep their required automated external defibrillators. Principals must place each campus defibrillator in a clearly marked, accessible spot near where students play sports, and it may not sit in a locked case when students or staff are regularly on campus. Every affected school must meet these rules by the first instructional day of the 2026-2027 school year.
CHARGES
[ ] NONE FOUND
TOTAL
No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.
Sources
Senator Cook moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that SB 1551 be placed on its third reading and final passage. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.
Yea: 31 (published)
Nay: 0 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed
Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.
Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.
Sources
Senator Cook moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that SB 1551 be placed on its third reading and final passage. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.
Yea: 31 (published)
Nay: 0 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed
Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.
House committee · Public Education · Final status: Died in committee
Senate committee · Education K-16 · Committee vote 11 aye, 0 nay · Out of committee
Subjects
Education--Primary & Secondary--General
Health--Other Diseases & Medical Conditions
Minors--Health & Safety
DEFIBRILLATORS
Text
The text as introduced · 251 words
89R5691 BCH-F
By: Cook
S.B. No. 1551
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the availability of automated external defibrillators
at public schools.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 38.017(a), Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(a) Each school district shall make available at each campus
in the district at least one automated external defibrillator, as
defined by Section 779.001, Health and Safety Code. A campus
defibrillator must be readily available during any University
Interscholastic League athletic competition held on the campus. In
determining the placement of [ location at which to store ] a campus
defibrillator, the principal of the campus shall consider the
primary location on campus where students engage in athletic
activities and place the defibrillator in a clearly marked and
accessible location. An automated external defibrillator may not
be placed in a locked case when students or school employees are
regularly present on campus .
SECTION 2. Not later than the first instructional day of the
2026-2027 school year, each public school to which Section 38.017,
Education Code, as amended by this Act, applies shall make
available automated external defibrillators as required by that
section.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
Monitoring 
