CHICAGO — The American College of Surgeons (ACS) commends the Missouri General Assembly for passing SB 68, STOP THE BLEED ACT, which garnered overwhelming bipartisan support. This legislation, signed into law in July, reinforces Missouri’s commitment to empowering the public to save lives in emergencies.
“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,” said Douglas J. E. Schuerer, MD, FACS, who played a key role in advocating for the bill and is a professor of surgery at Washington University in St. Louis. “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.”
Key Elements of the New Law:
- Requires the development of a traumatic blood loss protocol for schools
- Mandates the placement of bleeding control kits in schools, stocked with bandages, gloves, and tourniquets
- Schools must designate at least one staff member to receive annual training in bleeding control techniques
- Provides Good Samaritan protections for school personnel who use a bleeding control kit in good faith
This law builds upon Missouri’s previous efforts to enhance emergency preparedness, including HB 14 (2023), which provided grants for school safety programs, including bleeding control kits and AEDs.
In trauma care, bleeding injuries are a leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Anyone can learn to control bleeding a save a life with three methods after calling emergency personnel and ensuring the scene is safe: apply direct pressure to the wound, pack the wound with gauze or clothing, or apply a tourniquet, if appropriate.
About ACS Stop the Bleed
The ACS Stop the Bleed program administers the premier bleeding control course and was created by leading trauma and emergency response professionals. ACS Stop the Bleed is the largest global provider of bleeding control training and is instrumental in the development of both state and national legislation in the U.S. to empower the public with training and access to Stop the Bleed kits. Learn more at stopthebleed.org.
