Cardiomyopathy Health Education, Awareness, and Research, and Aed Training in the Schools Act of 2024

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of H.R. 6829, the HEARTS Act. I am proud to have sponsored this legislation, which is inspired by two New Jersey families who each tragically lost a child to sudden cardiac arrest during high school sporting events.

Sadly, more than 2,000 children and adolescents die this way, unfortunately, every single year, and the bill aims to prevent future deaths of cardiac arrest by preparing schools to respond to cardiac emergencies when they occur.

It directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop guidelines on the placement of automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, in schools and to provide resources to help schools create and implement cardiac emergency response plans.

The legislation also supports CPR education and training among students, school personnel, coaches, and volunteers. It would also support the development of cardiac emergency response plans, which, along with AEDs and CPR, are integral to a coordinated, immediate, and effective response in the crucial minutes between the time when a victim collapses and when emergency medical services arrive.

The HEARTS Act will raise awareness about the causes of sudden cardiac arrest and ensure schools are more prepared to deal with cardiac emergencies so we can save lives. This legislation has the support of the American Heart Association and the Smart Heart Coalition, among others.

It is my hope the Senate will consider this legislation and restore the authorization level, which we reluctantly were required to remove in order to get this bill before us today to comply with the Speaker's CutGo protocol. The Speaker's protocol, in my opinion, is arbitrary, selectively enforced, and ill-advised because it hampers our ability to address the pressing public health issues of the day.

I am disappointed that although the bill as originally written was cleared in committee on a bipartisan basis with the funding authorization, the House Republican leadership reversed course and determined before floor consideration that it was not in compliance with the Speaker's protocol.

We are, nonetheless, moving forward today because we believe it is imperative to move this policy forward for the parents and student athletes who have suffered from this sudden cardiac arrest, and I remain committed to ensuring the enduring success of this program and to seek funding for it.

I thank Chair Rodgers for working closely with me on the legislation, as well as the New Jersey families who shared their stories with me and have advocated tirelessly for safer cardiac health and resources in our schools.

Mr. Speaker, I urge strong support for the bill, and I thank all the members of our committee for reporting this bill out on a bipartisan basis. It is important for our kids.

Mr. Speaker, I ask everyone to vote in support of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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