California Set to Pass Nation-First STOP THE BLEED Bill

On August 22, the California State Legislature passed Assembly Bill (AB) 2260, Emergency Response: Trauma Kits. The bill, which is based on bleeding control principles defined in the ACS STOP THE BLEED^® program, is now headed to Governor Newsom’s desk where he will have approximately 10 days to sign.

If enacted into law, AB 2260 will require the installation of trauma bleeding control kits in newly constructed public and private buildings. This bill would represent the first state-level policy in the US to add these lay-first responder tools to non-residential areas where people gather.

This critical effort has been led primarily by the Committee on Trauma (COT); the Northern California, Southern California, and San Diego State Chapters of the ACS; and the primary legislative cosponsor of the bill, State Representative Freddie Rodriguez. In addition, a strong coalition comprising 11 other organizations, including the California Medical Association, California Emergency Nurses Association, American Trauma Society, and American Society of Anesthesiologists, played a significant role in passing the bill.

The ACS has published a SurgeonsVoice Action Alert for members residing in California, as well as submitted letters from the California state chapters, the COT, and the coalition to Governor Newsom urging him to finalize the bill.