Continued Efforts to Save Lives from Cardiac Arrest

The end of summer is upon us, and many kids are back in the classroom and on the playing fields for fall sports.

Did you know?: As many as 23,000 kids suffer a cardiac arrest every year, and a majority of those happen in a school setting. Unfortunately, only one in ten people survive a cardiac arrest outside of the hospital. Cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death for student athletes. We know that when someone nearby witnesses a cardiac arrest , immediately begins CPR and uses a nearby automated external defibrillator (AED), they can double or triple the chances of survival. In schools with an AED, the survival rate for a child experiencing a cardiac arrest is seven times higher than the general survival rate.

Congress will return to Washington, D.C. after a district work period and can take action to help protect kids by expanding access to AEDs and CPR training. In 2024, Congress unanimously passed a law creating a grant program to help schools purchase AEDs, train staff and volunteers on CPR and make a plan to react to a cardiac emergency. This law, the HEARTS Act, created the grant program, but now Congress needs to fund it. The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate have been discussing legislation that would fund government programs, like the HEARTS Act.

As Congress returns to Washington D.C. this fall, they could get back to work on legislation that could fund the HEARTS Act and help save lives. Ask your lawmakers to fund this important program.