STOP THE BLEED Legislative Updates

Federal Legislation

A bipartisan bill, the Prevent Blood Loss with Emergency Equipment Devices (BLEEDing) Act, has been introduced by U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and John Boozman (R-Ark.) to help provide states with funding to expand access to bleeding control kits in public places in communities around the country.

"This legislation is crucial to support state efforts to bring STOP THE BLEED^® training and equipment directly to all U.S. citizens. Just like with CPR, a civilian familiar with basic bleeding control techniques is equipped to save a life when minutes matter. This legislation helps educate and empower individuals to take life-saving action during a bleeding emergency and will help drive the goal of eliminating preventable death from bleeding."

— Eileen Bulger, MD, FACS | Chair of the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma

State Legislation

Several states in the U.S. are already enacting legislation that takes into account the core principles of the STOP THE BLEED^®program. In 2019, at least 12 states introduced or passed legislation to inform, educate, and empower their citizens to become immediate responders who can save a life in the event of a bleeding emergency. Here are some of the highlights happening at the state level.

• Texas and Indiana have passed laws to have STOP THE BLEED^® kits and training in schools.
• Georgia has included the cost to install STOP THE BLEED^® kits in schools as part of the state’s budget.
• The state of Illinois Terrorism Taskforce is installing STOP THE BLEED^® kits in schools.
• Arkansas passed a bill requiring high school students to participate in STOP THE BLEED^® training as a requirement for graduation.
• The North Carolina legislature approved funding for a pilot program to train public school teachers to STOP THE BLEED^® in Transylvania County.