New Normal: Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania Work on Legislations to Have More Defibrillator Access in Schools

 New laws are being proposed to increase access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in educational institutions in the states of Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania.

After ignoring the alarming increase in heart attack deaths among children and adults for three years, the mainstream media and the government finally began to cover the story.

However, they are too blind to see the cause of these incidents. Their solution is more defibrillators in schools.

Lawmakers in some states like Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania are now calling for more access to AED.

Indiana

In Indiana, legislation is moving forward that would mandate the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and cardiac emergency plans at all high school and collegiate sporting activities, 16 News Now reported.

Senate Bill 369 also referred to as “Jake’s Law,” was debated at the State House on Wednesday. Senator Linda Rogers of Granger sponsored the legislation.

The bill states, “Automated external defibrillator requirement. Requires school coaches, assistant coaches, marching band leaders, and extracurricular activity leaders to ensure that an operational automated external defibrillator (AED) is present at each athletic activity for which the individual is providing coaching or leadership. Requires the AED to be: (1) located on the premises where the athletic activity occurs; (2) except for a cross country running practice, accessible within three minutes; and (3) present for the duration of the athletic activity. Allows two or more athletic activities to share an AED if certain conditions are met. Requires school coaches, assistant coaches, marching band leaders, and extracurricular activity leaders to, at each athletic activity, inform all individuals who are overseeing or supervising the activity of the location of the AED.”

Ohio 

In Ohio, advocates for a bill to mandate AEDs in schools and recreation centers presented their arguments on Tuesday.

If passed, House Bill 47 would strengthen the existing Sudden Cardiac Arrest Law, also known as Lindsay’s Law.

There are three major parts of that law that serve to protect the youth, middle school, and high school levels, 10 TV reported.

“It requires education on risk factors and signs and symptoms of cardiac arrest, it requires a protocol for a student to return to athletic activity if they are known to exhibit risk factors, and it defines the health care providers who can make these decisions.”

“What the new proposed law would require is AEDs in all Ohio schools as well as recreation facilities. It would also mandate the Ohio Department of Health to provide an action plan to ensure people know where the devices are located and how they are used.”

In the upcoming weeks, the House will decide on the bill before sending it to the Senate.

Kentucky

On Tuesday morning, the House Education Committee unanimously approved a measure that would mandate the installation of defibrillators in all Kentucky middle and high schools, LEX 18 reported.

House Bill 331 states, “Amend KRS 158.162 to direct local boards of education to require schools to maintain a portable automated external defibrillator in every middle and high school building and at school-sponsored events; require local boards to adopt policies and procedures for portable automated external defibrillators and ensure training requirements are met.”

Representative Kim Moser says, “We’re teaching individuals how to use an AED, just to increase their comfort level. And then do some hands-on CPR training. It’s a 90-second little course in how you provide that very first response to an emergency situation.”

Pennsylvania

Katie Muth, a Democrat whose district includes parts of Bucks, Chester, and Montgomery counties, has proposed SB 512 and SB 513. The proposed legislation would mandate the presence of at least one AED in all schools and other facilities used for school-related events.

The proposed law would require schools to establish emergency response teams and create procedures for dealing with cardiac arrest. All after-school program instructors would also need to have current CPR certification, WTAE reported.

“The awareness around this issue has increased, as we saw in January, when we saw Damar Hamlin on the field, and you saw that action plan,” Muth said at an event introducing the bills. “That emergency action plan that I practiced when I was an athletic trainer was happening in live, real life, and he’s alive today because of an AED.”

A 16-year-old collapsed and went into sudden cardiac arrest during class. Now, the family is fundraising to put more AEDs in schools because the one they used on him saved his life.

“I found out later at the hospital that my son experienced sudden cardiac arrest. He wasn’t playing sports or doing anything strenuous he was literally sitting at his desk in class. He is not overweight, he has no health problems, there were no signs.”

One user commented, “BIZZARO WORLD: “He was 100% healthy, no preexisting conditions, no symptoms, no warning.” THE SOLUTION: More Defibrillators in Schools!”