Submitted by SCAFoundation on Mon, 09/21/2015 - 5:52pm

PITTSBURGH, PA--Legislation introduced in the Pennsylvania House and Senate earlier this year seeks to make education in CPR and the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) a high school graduation requirement. The bills do not mandate certification, but they do require students to undergo CPR training and become familiar with AEDs—user-friendly lifesaving devices that can restore a normal heartbeat to a victim of sudden unexpected cardiac arrest. One bill (SB 569) also calls for CPR and AED training for teachers.

If the legislation is approved soon, Pennsylvania could become the 27th state to approve mandatory CPR/AED education before high school graduation. See related article here.

Bills under consideration by the Education Committee (see attachments), chaired by Rep. Stan Saylor, are:

  • House Bill 1464 (identical to SB 948)introduced by Rep. Stephen Barrar, which has eight co-sponsors
  • Senate Bill 948 (identical to HB 1464), introduced by Sen. Dominic Pilleggi, which has five co-sponsors
  • Senate Bill 529, introduced by Sen. Lawrence Farnase, which has six co-sponsors.

Pennsylvania advocates who support these measures are urged to:

  • Reach out to their senators and representatives, urging them to co-sponsor the bills
  • Make themselves available as needed for visits and testimony in Harrisburg.

Contact information for PA legislators may be found here.

Pennsylvania advocacy organizations supporting these measures include the American Heart Association, The Peyton Walker Foundation, the Savino Foundation, and the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation. These organizations are currently seeking brief videos from high school students who are willing to testify about the importance of learning CPR and AED use before high school graduation.

Organizations and individuals interested in supporting this effort should contact info [at] sca-aware.org (subject: PA%20legislation) .

SOURCE: Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation