Smart Heart Sports Coalition urges Congress to support the HEARTS Act and Access to AEDs Act

Each year, more than 356,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of a hospital in the United States. Unfortunately only 10 percent of victims will survive this traumatic event. Each year, 23,000 youth experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital and 40 percent are sports related. It is the leading cause of death for student athletes. 

Only about half of the states, plus the District of Columbia, require AEDs to be placed in schools. Even fewer states have programs to help schools purchase these lifesaving devices.

The HEARTS Act and Access to AEDs Act will improve the chain of survival in elementary and secondary schools by creating a grant program at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to support CPR and AED training of students, staff, coaches, and school volunteers. Both bills also support the purchase of AEDs and related equipment and the development of Cardiac Emergency Response Plans (CERPs).

During a cardiac arrest, every minute without CPR drops the chance of survival by 10%. When people nearby act quickly—by calling 911, starting CPR, and using a publicly available AED, it can double or even triple the chance of surviving a cardiac arrest.

All schools should have multiple AEDs that can be accessed and used on a cardiac arrest victim within three minutes anywhere on the school campus.

The Smart Heart Sports Coalition encourages all members of Congress to co-sponsor and support the HEARTS Act in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Access to AEDs Act in the Senate. The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation is a proud member of the Coalition.