The U.S. House of Representatives today passed the , which would help ensure students, staff and school visitors are prepared to respond to a cardiac emergency. The American Heart Association, which is celebrating 100 years of lifesaving service as the world's leading voluntary organization focused on heart and brain health, has touted this bipartisan legislation as a key strategy for accomplishing its goal to double the chance of survival from cardiac arrest. Swift action by the U.S. Senate is now needed to save more lives.
The HEARTS Act would improve the chain of survival in elementary and secondary schools nationwide by creating a grant program at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to support CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) training. The bill also supports the purchase of AEDs and the development of cardiac emergency response plans, which can more than double survival rates from cardiac arrest by empowering people nearby to dial 911, start CPR and use an AED. In schools with AEDs, children who experience cardiac arrest are to survive as children in schools without AEDs.
"Earlier this year, hundreds of cardiac arrest survivors, families who have lost a loved one to cardiac arrest, health care providers and other advocates came together on Capitol Hill to share their poignant stories with Congress," said Nancy Brown, Chief Executive Officer of the American Heart Association. "No two experiences are alike, but we've learned from these advocates that having a plan in place and people nearby who know what to do can be the difference between life and death for the more than 350,000 people who experience a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital each year."
Research shows that for every minute without CPR, chances of survival drop by 10%. The good news is that, according to a recent American Heart Association survey, an increasing number of people across the country say they have the confidence to perform CPR. This means that people experiencing a cardiac arrest can get the care they need before emergency responders arrive and have a better chance of survival.
The HEARTS Act includes key provisions of the Access to AEDs Act, which was introduced in March 2023. Since then, the American Heart Association has mobilized tens of thousands of advocates to share their experiences with lawmakers. This nationwide grassroots campaign also features digital and social media advertising in Washington, D.C. and across the country and elevates the voices of cardiac arrest survivors and families who have lost a loved one to cardiac arrest.
The Association is also a founding member of the National Football League's Smart Heart Sports Coalition, which is working in states nationwide to pass policies that ensure school athletic facilities and events have a cardiac emergency response plan, quick access to AEDs and coaches trained in CPR and AED use so they are prepared to respond during cardiac emergency. In 2024 alone, 13 states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, West Virginia) have passed such legislation with bipartisan support.
"We join American Heart Association advocates across the country to celebrate this important milestone in our campaign to turn a nation of bystanders into a Nation of Lifesavers," Brown continued. "We urge the Senate to quickly follow suit and make this policy the law of the land."
