CPR in Schools Continues Momentum

As we continue our efforts to produce future generations of lifesavers, I’d like to acknowledge some tremendous momentum we’ve gained during the most recent round of state legislative sessions since last fall. As a reminder, our CPR in Schools effort advocates for states to make CPR training – including the use of an automatic external defibrillator (AED) – a requirement for high school graduation.

At the time of this blog post, 15 states had already passed legislation with recent policy victories in Idaho, Mississippi and Maryland. We’ve also made great progress in Utah and Indiana. Utah appropriated significant money that will provide teachers with the resources they need to support CPR training in schools. We still have some work to do in Indiana, where the law currently allows for schools to opt out of the requirement. Despite these caveats, we are proud about the work we’ve done, and we’re hopeful both of these states, along with many others, will eventually sign bills into law that mirror legislation in the other 15 states.

Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley signing Breanna’s Bill, requiring CPR for graduation in Maryland.

Congratulations to AHA’s Advocacy team for their policy work and to our Community CPR team, who is working to put training solutions into action in states. Through these relentless efforts, the AHA is coming ever closer to creating and empowering the next generation of lifesavers!