JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri has enacted a new law requiring schools to stock bleeding control kits and train staff to respond to traumatic injuries — a move aimed at improving emergency preparedness and saving lives before first responders arrive.
The Stop the Bleed Act (SB 68), signed into law in July with strong bipartisan support, expands on Missouri’s earlier efforts to improve emergency preparedness, such as HB 14 (2023), which funded school safety initiatives, including bleeding control kits and AEDs. The American College of Surgeons, which advocated for the legislation, praised lawmakers for strengthening public access to lifesaving tools and training.
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“Getting this bill passed was a group effort of the Missouri ACS Committee on Trauma (MO COT). As the MO COT chair, I cannot be prouder of all of our trauma programs. We’ve had local grassroots work going on for several years, and that persistence paid off,” bill advocate Douglas J. E. Schuerer, MD, FACS said. “Although this took time, it shows that progress may be slow but can be very effective. In the end, this bill had broad bipartisan support.”
The key elements of the law:
- Requires schools to develop a protocol for responding to traumatic blood loss
- Mandates bleeding control kits in schools, equipped with bandages, gloves, and tourniquets
- Requires at least one staff member per school to receive annual bleeding control training
- Grants Good Samaritan protections to school personnel who use a bleeding control kit in good faith
