A Great Day at the Idaho Capitol

On February 5, 2026, the American Heart Association hosted its annual Heart at the Capitol Day. The event brought together passionate advocates from across the state including youth from the Meridian Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council, Capitol High School’s Political Science Club, and Idaho Arts Charter School in Nampa.  Other advocates came from as far away as Rigby and Twin Falls to have their voices heard on the importance of Cardiac Emergency Response Plans in schools.

Volunteers held formal meetings with 15 legislators, and had many more conversations with legislators who joined us for breakfast. Many lawmakers admitted they were surprised to learn that schools are not already required to have a Cardiac Emergency Response Plan and some were even unfamiliar with AED’s and how they are used.

One of the most inspiring moments of the day was hearing from the Cox family. They shared the story of their daughter Addison, who suffered cardiac arrest while playing softball last summer. Thankfully, an AED was nearby and was used to save her life. Addison attended Lobby Day with her parents, and her mother spoke powerfully about that terrifying moment and why they were advocating for the bill. Their story reminds us that behind every policy is a person.

The timing of the event couldn’t have been better. That morning the bill was officially introduced in committee and assigned a bill number, the first step in the legislative process.

The local ABC affiliate, KIVI Channel 6, covered the event featuring interviews with the Cox family and footage of legislative meetings, helping further amplifying the conversation on the issue.

Click below to see KIVI interview with the Cox family.

https://youtu.be/TQwhlS2OpHk?si=hnZk-f4b0iMNhpaR

Overall, it was a great day at the Idaho Capitol bringing awareness to an important issue at a critical time.