JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – Gov. Jay Nixon has signed a bill that will require Missouri high school students to undergo a new round of first aid training before they can graduate.

The St. Louis Dispatch (http://bit.ly/1UOrBA6 ) reports that the governor signed the legislation Tuesday. The measure will go into effect in the 2017-2018 school year.

Under the new law, students would have to take 30 minutes of CPR instruction, as well as training in the Heimlich maneuver, which is used when a person is choking.

Nixon said in a statement that it’s imperative that young people be familiar with these procedures because first aid can sometimes be the difference between life and death.