ACSM is a member of the Coalition that is helping drive legislation to support its goal of all 50 states adopting evidence-based policies preventing fatal outcomes from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) among high school students.

The coalition is advocating for the implementation of three best practice policies:

1. Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) for each high school athletic venue that are widely distributed, posted, rehearsed, and updated annually;
2. Clearly marked automated external defibrillator (AEDs) at each athletic venue or within 1-3 minutes of each venue where high school practices or competitions are held; and,
3. CPR and AED education for coaches.

Here’s a summary of the coalition’s progress over the last month:

State Laws

• Ohio – On Wednesday, June 28th, the Ohio Senate unanimously (31-0) passed HB 47, following the long-awaited approval of the Senate Health Committee, where it had been pending since 2023. The House voted overwhelmingly (81-10) to concur with the Senate’s version, which included a few technical amendments. The bill now is headed to OH Governor Mike DeWine’s desk, and its anticipated that he will sign it, which would implement the two missing policies (AEDs, EAPs) in the state.
• Oklahoma – On Friday, June 14th, OK Governor Kevin Stitt signed SB 1921 into law, implementing all three policies in the state. The Governor is considering hosting a bill-signing ceremony in July. The bill passed the House on April 8th (following approval in the Senate), but lawmakers in a last-minute maneuver struck the title and enacting clause in the bill, putting the bill in limbo until further negotiations between legislators and the Governor regarding unrelated issues (i.e., the budget) were resolved.
• Kansas – On Thursday, May 16th, KS Governor Laura Kelly held a bill-signing ceremony in Topeka, Kansas. With SB 19 (AEDs) enacted into law, Kansas now has all three policies in place. The Governor approved the bill on April 23rd.
• During the next several months, groundwork will continue to build on the progress that’s been made in a number of states (including NY, MN, SC, VA and NH), so the coalition will be in a strong position to help enact legislation in 2025.

Federal– Access to AEDs Act/HEARTS Act

• House – The HEARTS Act – which now includes key provisions of the Access to AEDs Act – is poised to be taken up on the House floor. It passed the House E&C Committee on February 14th and has been placed on the Union Calendar.
• Senate – The Access to AEDs Act picked up additional sponsors as a result of AHA’s “Hearts on the Hill” Advocacy Day on May 23rd. Sens. Durbin (D-IL), Boozman (R-AR), Klobuchar (D-MN), Shaheen (D-NH), and Peters (D-MI) are now among the 19 Senate cosponsors.