Brennan bill to prevent student cardiac arrest deaths passes House of Representatives

July 8, 2024

The bill updates guidelines on the availability of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and the training of personnel to use them.

July 8, 2024, 1:59 a.m. EDT | Updated July 8, 2024, 2:04 a.m. EDT

DOYLESTOWN, PA — A bill to help save the lives of students who suffer cardiac arrest at school or on the playing field passed the House of Representatives on July 3 by a bipartisan vote of 157 to 45, according to the bill’s sponsor, Doylestown Borough state Rep. Tim Brennan.

House Bill 1685 would amend school regulations to update policies regarding the availability of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and training of staff to use them.

The main provisions of the bill include:

All public schools would be required to have at least one AED available in every school building for every physical activity and to have at least one person in the building each school day who is trained and certified in the use of an AED and CPR.
The purchase of AEDs would be considered an eligible school safety expense.
Schools could accept donations to purchase AEDs. The state Department of Education could accept donations and equipment and distribute them to schools for use in AED instruction.
Examples of employees required to receive instruction include a school nurse or designee, a sports coach, a marching band director, a physical education teacher, a sports coach, and a sports training assistant.

“Just days before I was sworn in as a legislator, I watched along with the rest of the country as Damar Hamlin, the Buffalo Bills player who grew up near Pittsburgh, went into cardiac arrest on the football field,” Brennan said. “I was deeply moved that Damar was saved by a first responder who used an AED in addition to CPR. Since then, I have introduced this and another AED bill that would require them in state buildings.”

Quick access to an AED dramatically increases the chances of survival for a person in cardiac arrest. According to a 2018 study published in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association, people who experience cardiac arrest in a public setting have less than a 10% chance of survival while waiting for an ambulance. However, the survival rate increases to as much as 70% if a bystander uses an AED before first responders arrive.

“Undetected heart disease that affects the cardiovascular system and sudden blows to the chest – common occurrences in many youth sports – are the most common causes of cardiac arrest in children, and schools with AEDs and a plan increase the chance of survival from this usually fatal condition to as much as 80%,” Brennan said. “Supporting a common-sense, cost-effective solution to an urgent health problem should be an obvious choice, so I expect swift approval from the Senate.”

Substance abuse, potassium deficiency due to an eating disorder, physical exertion and erythema can also lead to a heart attack.

“The New Hope-Solebury School District has been actively involved in the Youth Heart Watch Program through CHOP and has fully supported the provision of AEDs and related training to our teachers and staff,” said Dr. Charles W. Lentz, Ed. D., Superintendent of NHSD. “If these efforts help save the life of even one child, they are vital. Representative Brennan’s efforts will continue to ensure our students receive the support they need during cardiac emergencies.”

(Tim Brennan represents Pennsylvania’s 29th congressional district, which includes Doylestown Borough, Doylestown Township, New Hope Borough, Solebury Township, Buckingham Township, Chalfont Borough, and New Britain Borough.)