Texas lawmakers have taken significant steps to prevent tragedies similar to the death of Landon Payton, a 14-year-old student who collapsed during a P.E. class at Marshall Middle School last August.
More than nine months after the incident, the exact circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear, as does whether the Houston Independent School District (HISD) employees present could have intervened effectively.
In honor of the young student, the Texas Legislature recently passed the “Landon Payton Act.” If signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott, Senate Bill 865 will require all public schools and open-enrollment charter schools in Texas to establish cardiac emergency response plans.
Moreover, the legislation mandates training for certain staff members and students in CPR and the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs).
State Representative Christina Morales, a Houston Democrat representing the Payton family, highlighted the importance of the bill in emergencies: “This bill [SB 865] is about literally saving seconds, because every second matters whenever there’s an emergency situation like this.
“And this is not only for the students but also for our school staff, so we never leave anything to chance and will make sure that all of the equipment is checked.”
This legislative move comes after an alarming revelation regarding the condition of AEDs within Houston ISD. Records acquired by Houston Public Media indicated that the AED located in the Marshall Middle School gym had expired electrode pads at the time of an inspection just three months before Payton’s death.
The Houston Federation of Teachers stated shortly after the incident that a school nurse attempted to use the AED on Landon but found the device was not operational. The school district later acknowledged that 170 of the more than 1,000 AEDs on its campuses were not functioning at the time of the incident.
While the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences has updated the cause of death to “undetermined” after months of investigation, HISD has refrained from commenting on the specifics regarding Payton’s tragic passing.
Before the passage of Senate Bill 865, Governor Abbott already enacted Senate Bill 1177, which requires all schools in Texas to have their campus AEDs inspected during fire safety inspections.
These measures come as part of a concerted effort to enhance safety protocols across Texas schools. HISD released a statement acknowledging that “the Houston Independent School District places student safety as its highest priority” and expresses eagerness to collaborate with state and local leaders to improve emergency response procedures.
In conversation with Representative Morales, she mentioned that she spoke to Payton’s father about the bill, who expressed gratitude for honoring his son’s legacy.
As the Landon Payton Act is set to take effect in the 2025-26 school year, the legislation will ensure that school nurses, assistant nurses, athletic coaches, P.E. teachers, cheerleading coaches, marching band directors, and student athletic trainers are certified in CPR and AED usage.
These legislative efforts not only aim to improve student safety but also serve as a reminder of Landon Payton’s story and the importance of being prepared for emergencies in schools.
While the Payton family is yet to file a lawsuit against HISD, they remain vigilant in ensuring that no other family experiences a similar tragedy.
A representative for the Payton family did not respond to a request for comment on these recent developments.
The story of Landon Payton, still vivid in the minds of Texans, has prompted a necessary reevaluation of school safety protocols, with the hope that implementing these new laws will lead to better preparedness and quicker responses in critical situations.
image source from：https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/education-news/2025/06/02/522889/landon-payton-act-requiring-more-aed-and-cpr-training-in-texas-schools-on-verge-of-becoming-law/
