The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 4926, legislation to establish a grant program to fund the purchase of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for elementary and secondary schools on June 9.  The bill was sponsored by Rep. Betty Sutton (D-Ohio) and had over 100 cosponsors in the House and passed unanimously.   In the Senate, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Charles Voinovich (R-Ohio) have introduced a companion bill, S. 3520.  Both bills authorize funding for a national grant program to help equip schools with AEDs.  Local or state matching funds are required for a school to apply for grant funds, as well as evidence that the school has trained a sufficient number of staff or volunteers in the use of CPR and an AED.  The legislation also encourages schools to create a medical emergency response plan before purchasing an AED.

The Josh Miller HEARTS Act was named after Josh Miller, a 15 year old student from Barberton, Ohio who suffered sudden cardiac arrest during a high school football game.  Though Josh had never previously demonstrated symptoms of a heart problem, he passed away before paramedics arrived at the scene.  The American Heart Association is working closely with Sen. Clinton and Sen. Voinovich to recruit cosponsors and push the bill through the Senate.

The American Heart Association educates lawmakers at the state and federal level to support public policies proven to prevent heart disease and stroke and save lives. For additional information, please contact Cliff Christian at cliff.christian@heart.org or 406-443-6515.