Senators Voinovich, Brown Reintroduce HEARTS Act

Legislation Named for Ohio High School Student Would Place Defibrillators in Schools

June 8, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators George V. Voinovich (R-OH) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) reintroduced a bill to establish a grant program to put automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) in elementary and secondary schools across the country.

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“Josh Miller’s untimely passing stands as a tragic reminder that our schools need better life-saving equipment to handle sudden cardiac arrest,” Sen. Voinovich said. “In addition to being houses of learning, schools are also central gathering places in our communities. These easy-to-use devices have the potential to save millions of lives of children, teachers, administrators, parents and staff.”

“This bill honors Barberton’s Josh Miller by taking a critical step toward improving the health of our children and our communities,” Sen. Brown said. “By increasing access to life-saving resources like AEDS, this bipartisan effort ensures that our schools are equipped with the tools not just to educate, but to protect students’ lives.”

According to the American Heart Association, every year at least 330,000 Americans experience sudden cardiac arrest. Early defibrillation using an AED, when combined with CPR, can more than double the survival chances of a sudden cardiac arrest victim. The State of Ohio has implemented this program, resulting in 13 lives saved as a direct result of AED placement.

This legislation is named after Josh Miller, an Ohio high school student who died on the football field following a cardiac arrest. The bill would establish a grant program through the Department of Education that would provide up to 75 percent of the cost of an AED and training to public and private K-12 schools.

Source: Senator Sherrod Brown