AB 310 amends California Health and Safety Code section 124238.5 to stage-in new safety obligations for youth sports organizations. The bill requires certified CPR and AED training for coaches and a written cardiac emergency response plan by January 1, 2027, and makes AEDs required, available, and properly maintained by January 1, 2028.
The statute specifies training standards (accredited providers, consistent with national evidence-based cardiovascular guidelines), periodic recertification, an annual review of the written plan with staff, and AED maintenance according to manufacturer and federal requirements. For organizations, the bill converts an abstract safety goal into concrete operational duties — with timing and procedural detail but limited enforcement language, leaving implementation questions for administrators and counsel to resolve.
At a Glance
What It Does
The bill requires youth sports organizations that offer athletic programs to ensure coaches are certified in CPR and AED operation by January 1, 2027, and to provide access to AEDs during official practices and matches by January 1, 2028. It also mandates a written, annually reviewed cardiac emergency response plan and AED maintenance per manufacturer and federal rules.
Who It Affects
Public and private youth sports organizations in California that elect to offer athletic programs, their coaches, and parents/guardians of participants. Accredited training providers and AED vendors are also affected by increased demand for certification and maintenance services.
Why It Matters
The bill shifts operational responsibility for sudden cardiac arrest preparedness onto youth organizations with explicit deadlines, standardized training requirements, and documented emergency procedures—creating new compliance tasks for organizers and predictable safety practices for families and coaches.
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What This Bill Actually Does
AB 310 flips the prior statutory approach from a general safety expectation to a schedule of concrete obligations. First, it makes coach preparedness a near-term requirement: by January 1, 2027, organizations must ensure coaches hold CPR and AED certifications that are recertified at least every two years.
The law allows training to be offered in person or online but requires that instruction come from an accredited organization and align with nationally recognized, evidence-based cardiovascular care guidelines.
Second, the bill requires that organizations prepare and maintain a written cardiac emergency response plan, effective also by January 1, 2027. That plan must be reviewed with coaches and staff annually and must set out practical details: where AEDs are located, step-by-step procedures for responding to sudden cardiac arrest, designated responsibilities for coaches, administrators, and athletes, and how the plan and training will be communicated to those groups.
The statute requires an annual electronic communication to parents or guardians that includes the plan (or a link), AED locations, and the staff members to notify in an event.Third, the bill phases in AED availability and upkeep. Starting January 1, 2028, organizations that offer athletic programs must ensure athletes have access to an AED during any official practice or match.
The statute also requires AEDs to be maintained and tested according to the device manufacturer's operation and maintenance guidelines and applicable FDA or other state or federal rules. Together the deadlines create a two-step compliance window: internal preparedness (training and planning) first, hardware availability and maintenance next.Finally, the enacted language removes the prior statutory requirement that AEDs be administered only by a medical professional, implicitly broadening who may operate an AED so long as the operator has the required certification.
The bill therefore combines mandated organizational planning and individual coach competency while leaving enforcement and some definitional matters (for example, the precise scope of “accredited organization” or the number and placement of AEDs) to administrators and implementing guidance.
The Five Things You Need to Know
Coaches must be certified in CPR and AED operation by January 1, 2027 and recertified at least every two years.
Training may be provided in person or online but must come from an accredited organization and be consistent with nationally recognized, evidence‑based cardiovascular care guidelines.
The written cardiac emergency response plan must be reviewed annually with coaches and staff and include AED locations, event procedures, assigned responsibilities, and how the plan will be communicated and taught.
Organizations must send an annual electronic notice to parents or guardians that includes the emergency plan or a link to it, the AED locations, and the staff members to notify in the event of a sudden cardiac event.
By January 1, 2028 organizations must ensure AED availability at official practices and matches and must maintain and test AEDs according to manufacturer instructions and applicable FDA or state/federal rules.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
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AED access requirement and applicability
This subsection requires that, commencing January 1, 2028, any youth sports organization that elects to offer an athletic program ensure athletes have access to an AED during official practices and matches. Practically, this creates a clear statutory trigger for seeking, locating, or procuring AEDs for covered activities; it does not prescribe the number of AEDs, placement distances, or specific response times, so organizations must decide operational details consistent with the statute's broad duty.
Coach certification and recertification in CPR and AED use
Subsection (b) imposes the near-term duty that coaches be certified (and recertified at least biennially) to perform CPR and operate an AED, effective January 1, 2027. The bill permits online or in-person courses but requires the training be offered by an accredited organization and align with national evidence-based cardiovascular care standards. For organizations, this creates recurring administrative tasks: tracking certifications, scheduling recertifications, and verifying that chosen vendors meet the accreditation and guideline consistency requirements.
Mandated written emergency response plan and parent communication
Also effective January 1, 2027, organizations must maintain a written cardiac emergency response plan and review it annually with coaches and staff. The statute sets four plan content requirements: AED locations and procedures; role responsibilities during an event; notification and training methods for staff and athletes; and an annual electronic communication to parents/guardians that includes the plan or a link, AED locations, and designated staff to notify. These specifications force organizations to codify operational workflows and make outreach to families a statutory obligation.
AED maintenance and testing standards
Commencing January 1, 2028, subsection (c) requires organizations to maintain and test AEDs per the manufacturer's operation and maintenance guidelines and applicable FDA or other state/federal rules. This imposes an ongoing technical compliance duty—scheduled checks, battery and pad replacement, recordkeeping, and adherence to any regulatory testing regimes—rather than a one-time purchase obligation.
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Who Benefits
- Youth athletes at risk of sudden cardiac arrest — get more consistent on-site preparedness through trained coaches, written plans, and guaranteed AED availability during practices and matches.
- Parents and guardians — receive an annual electronic disclosure of the emergency plan, AED locations, and designated contacts, improving transparency and allowing informed enrollment decisions.
- Accredited CPR/AED training providers — see increased, recurring demand because coaches must certify and recertify at least every two years, and organizations must verify accredited instruction.
- AED manufacturers and maintenance service providers — benefit from mandated procurement and ongoing maintenance/testing obligations that create a steady market for devices, supplies, and service contracts.
Who Bears the Cost
- Youth sports organizations (including small community and volunteer-run clubs) — must absorb costs to acquire AEDs, enroll coaches in accredited training, adopt and review written plans, and fund ongoing AED maintenance and testing.
- Coaches and volunteers — face time commitments for certification and recertification; smaller programs may press volunteers to obtain required credentials without reimbursement.
- Local governments and school districts that sponsor or allow athletic programs — will need to budget for device procurement, maintenance, staff training coordination, and communications to families.
- Compliance and administrative staff — organizations may need to add or repurpose staff/time for tracking certifications, documenting plan reviews, and sending required annual communications to parents.
Key Issues
The Core Tension
The bill balances two legitimate aims—maximizing life‑saving preparedness through mandated equipment, training, and plans versus minimizing financial and administrative burden on community and volunteer-run youth sports programs—and it leaves implementers to resolve where that balance falls in practice.
The statute creates clear deadlines and content requirements but leaves several operational questions unanswered. It does not define how many AEDs are ‘enough’ for a given facility, how ‘‘access’’ is measured (for example, maximum distance or response time), or which entities qualify as an ‘‘accredited organization’’ for training purposes; those gaps will require implementing guidance or risk uneven compliance across jurisdictions.
Likewise, the law mandates maintenance per manufacturer and FDA rules but does not prescribe required recordkeeping formats, inspection intervals, or who inspects—creating potential disputes over what constitutes adequate maintenance.
Enforcement and liability are also unclear. AB 310 imposes duties without attaching civil penalties, inspection authority, or a private right of action in the text; that raises questions about how regulators or courts will treat noncompliance and whether the statute will be invoked in tort litigation.
Removing the prior requirement that a medical professional administer an AED broadens who may act in an emergency but also shifts emphasis to the adequacy of training; the statutory reliance on ‘‘accredited’’ providers and ‘‘national evidence‑based’’ guidelines may elevate disputes about training quality if an adverse outcome occurs. Finally, the staggered deadlines (training and planning by 2027; AED availability and maintenance by 2028) are operationally sensible but could burden smaller organizations that must fund and coordinate purchases and training across two fiscal years.
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