New Law Requires Students to Learn CPR Before Graduating High School |

Governor Brian Sandoval signed Assembly Bill 85 making it mandatory for students to learn CPR before they can graduate high school.

Starting July 1st, 2017 Washoe County School District will have to include it somehow into their curriculum.

While this means changes for some schools in Northern Nevada, some schools are already teaching this life-saving skill. "We put the kit, the American Heart Association and other volunteer groups put the kits in schools all around northern Nevada, and Clark County found some in their budget, so CPR is already being taught but now it has become mandatory," says Rick Casazza of the American Hear Association.

One middle school here has already been teaching their students for almost two years. "With the help of the American Heart Association they gave us a grant several years ago to provide us with the kits to help teach our middle school kids," said Rollins Stallworth, the Director of WCSD Activities and Athletics.

Casazza says having these programs in school have already saved lives. "During the passage of this bill we heard a number of stories of kids that learned CPR in school and saved lives in the home. In one case their step-father and the other their father."

While it is still unclear how the school district will incorporate it into their curriculum, Washoe County says there are plenty of ways to add it. "Should it be in your physical education program, should it be in your health program, those two make the most sense. But there is also study hall and advisory and homeroom,there are plenty of avenues we can do this," explains Stallworth.