Ask Congress to fund the HEARTS Act 📧
Together We Can Save Lives
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When cardiac arrest happens, the first chance for survival often depends on people nearby. If someone calls 911, starts CPR and uses an automated external defibrillator (AED) until help arrives, the chances of survival can double or even triple. More than 350,000 people experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital each year. Unfortunately, only 10% of those people survive.
More than 23,000 of those who experience cardiac arrest each year are children, and it’s the leading cause of death for student athletes.
Cardiac emergencies are community emergencies, and schools are at the heart of our communities. Students, parents, school staff, grandparents and other community members may visit a school throughout the day. Our schools should be prepared to respond to a cardiac emergency.
Congress unanimously passed the bipartisan HEARTS Act at the end of 2024, a law that could help save lives from cardiac arrest in schools. The HEARTS Act authorizes the creation of a grant program that would help schools prepare to respond to cardiac emergencies. Schools could use grant funds to purchase and maintain AEDs, train school staff and volunteers on CPR and AED use and ensure a cardiac emergency response plan is in place.
Authorizing this lifesaving program was a critical first step. Now Congress needs to fund it!
Survival from cardiac arrest depends on immediate action by people nearby. Together, we can help ensure schools in our communities are ready to respond.
Your federal lawmakers can help schools save lives by funding the HEARTS Act. Contact them today. Lives depend on it. 
