H 7616School Safety

Education - School Trauma Kit Act

Requires Rhode Island schools to keep trauma kits and have trained staff available to treat severe bleeding injuries.

Held for study

Population
Affected

Introduced Feb 11, 2026Committee House Education

Plain-English Summary

This legislation, known as the "School Trauma Kit Act," mandates that all public and private elementary and secondary schools in Rhode Island maintain accessible trauma kits. These kits must contain specific medical supplies, such as tourniquets and bleeding control bandages, to handle emergencies. The bill requires schools to have a person trained in first aid and trauma kit use present during school-sponsored activities and athletic contests. Additionally, it provides immunity from civil liability for trained individuals, property owners, and trainers who assist during an emergency, provided they do not act with gross negligence.

For younger readers

This new rule says that every school in Rhode Island must have special first aid boxes called trauma kits. These kits have things like bandages and scissors to help stop bad bleeding if someone gets really hurt. Whenever there is a school game or event, there must be a grown-up there who knows how to use the kit to help. The rule also protects the people who help from getting in trouble if they try their best to save someone. Schools can get money from groups or parents to buy these kits.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

StudentsTeachersSchool AdministratorsPrivate SchoolsParents

Impacted communities

All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost

Amount unknown

Estimated revenue

None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Increases the safety and welfare of the community by ensuring that schools are equipped to save lives during critical emergencies or mass casualty events.
Protects vulnerable populations, specifically children and school staff, by mandating necessary medical equipment in educational settings.
Allows for funding via grants and non-profits, which helps underfunded public school districts acquire safety equipment without immediately straining their operational budgets.
Creates a potentially unfunded mandate that could place financial pressure on poorer school districts if external grant funding is not successfully secured.
Normalizes the expectation of severe violence and trauma in schools rather than focusing legislative energy on root causes of violence or preventative measures.
Expands liability shields for property owners and equipment providers, which could be viewed as prioritizing asset protection over full accountability in cases of negligence.

For Conservatives

Provides robust liability protections for property owners and individuals who render aid, preventing frivolous lawsuits against Good Samaritans and schools.
Encourages private sector and community responsibility by allowing schools to accept funding from non-profits and private parties rather than relying solely on taxpayer dollars.
Prioritizes the physical safety of children and preparation for emergencies without creating a large new government agency or bureaucracy.
Imposes government mandates and regulations on private schools, interfering with the operational autonomy of non-public educational institutions.
Expands the regulatory authority of the Department of Health and Department of Education to dictate specific equipment standards and staffing requirements.
Mandates specific staffing requirements for extracurricular activities, which could be seen as government overreach into how schools manage their events and athletics.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 35 additions

SECTION 1. Title 16 of the General Laws entitled "EDUCATION" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter: 16-91.2-1. Trauma kits in educational settings.

(a) Every public and private elementary and secondary school within the State of Rhode Island shall provide and maintain clearly visible and easily accessible trauma kits as described in subsection (b) of this section. The quantity and type of trauma kits shall be determined by the commissioner of education, in consultation with the director of the department of health, after due consideration of trauma-type first aid kits recommended by the Department of Homeland Security, and shall be adequate to ensure ready and appropriate access for use during emergencies.

(b) Each trauma kit shall include at a minimum the following supplies: tourniquet; gloves and marker; scissors; instructions; compression bandages; and bleeding control bandages and any other supplies determined necessary by the director pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a) of this section.

(c) Whenever school facilities are used for school-sponsored or school-approved curricular or extracurricular activities, and whenever a school-sponsored athletic contest is held at any location, the school officials and administrators responsible for the school facility or athletic contest shall ensure the presence of at least one person who is properly trained in the administration of first aid and use of the trauma kit.

(d) No person, whether acting in an official capacity or as a private volunteer, who gratuitously renders emergency assistance to a person who experiences a traumatic bleeding injury, shall be liable for civil damages for any personal injuries which result from acts or omissions by the person rendering the emergency care, which may constitute ordinary negligence; provided, however that, this immunity applies only to:

(1) Persons who have been trained in accordance with standards promulgated by the US Department of Homeland Security or the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACS COT) or an equivalent program as approved by the department of health;

(2) Persons providing approved training in traumatic bleeding injuries;

(3) Property lessees and owners where the emergency assistance occurs; and

(4) The owners of the actual life-saving equipment.

(e) Immunity from civil liability pursuant to the provisions of subsection (d) of this section, shall not extend or apply to acts or omissions constituting intentional harm or willful, wanton or gross negligence.

(f) The director of the department of health is hereby authorized to promulgate rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this section.

(g) Any elementary or secondary school may accept funding for the trauma kits from grants, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, parent-teacher organizations, private parties and government entities.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2028.