Requires every elementary and secondary school within the State of Rhode Island to provide and maintain clearly visible and easily accessible trauma kits within the school. It also provides immunity if assistance is rendered.

Rhode Island School Trauma Kit Act: Plain-English Summary

This bill would require every public and private elementary and secondary school in Rhode Island to have trauma kits on hand and readily available on school grounds. These kits are emergency medical supplies designed to help treat serious injuries — such as severe bleeding — before professional medical help arrives. The kits would need to be clearly visible and easy to access, similar to how fire extinguishers or AED (defibrillator) devices are typically displayed in public buildings.

The bill also includes a legal protection clause, meaning that any person — whether a teacher, staff member, or bystander — who uses one of these kits to help someone in an emergency would generally be protected from lawsuits as long as they acted in good faith. This kind of protection is commonly known as a "Good Samaritan" provision, and it is intended to encourage people to step in and help without fear of legal consequences.

This bill would affect all K-12 schools across Rhode Island, including their administrators, staff, and students. Schools would be responsible for obtaining and maintaining these kits, which could involve some cost. The goal is to improve the ability of schools to respond quickly to life-threatening injuries during the critical minutes before emergency responders can arrive on scene.

As of now, the bill has been introduced in the Senate and referred to the Senate Education Committee, where it has been recommended for further study. It has not yet been passed into law.