Georgia's New School CPR Law Hits 260 North Atlanta Schools

Every one of 260 public schools across four North Atlanta counties is now legally required to have an automated external defibrillator on-site, and teachers, coaches, and school nurses at those schools must practice CPR and AED response twice per year under Georgia House Bill 874.

Governor Brian Kemp signed HB 874 on April 23, 2024, triggering the most significant expansion of Georgia's school cardiac emergency law since its original passage in 2013. The legislation amended OCGA § 20-2-775 to extend AED and CPR requirements beyond high schools with athletics programs to every public K-12 school in the state.

For Gwinnett, Forsyth, Cherokee, and Hall counties, the study estimates 260 school buildings requiring at least one on-site AED, approximately 21,900 teachers and instructional staff tied to the twice-annual practice mandate, and an estimated 95,000 high school students who must receive hands-on CPR and AED instruction.

Under HB 874's twice-per-year staff practice requirement, the four-district region faces a minimum estimated 43,800 CPR practice events annually. Gwinnett County Public Schools, the largest district in Georgia, accounts for roughly 28,000 of those required practice events on its own.

The report also notes an equipment-training connection under Georgia's AED program standards. Placing an AED in a school building creates a need for trained expected users, not only a device purchase. Georgia's Good Samaritan Law provides civil liability protection for good-faith AED use, but the report emphasizes preparation and training as practical readiness issues.

Work Readiness Center, an AHA-certified CPR and BLS training provider based in Cumming, Georgia, serves schools, healthcare providers, and employers across North Atlanta.