On Dec. 6, the Ohio Senate Health Committee held its second hearing on H.B. 47, a priority bill for the National Football League’s Smart Heart Sports Coalition and the ACC’s Ohio Chapter. Sponsored by state Reps. Richard Brown (OH-5) and Adam Bird (OH-63), the bill would require AEDs in schools and many municipal sports facilities in the state and mandate the adoption of emergency action plans and training for staff.

Kanny S. Grewal, MD, FACC, president of ACC’s Ohio Chapter, joined partners from the Smart Heart Sports Coalition including two cardiologists representing Community Heart Watch and the Association of Black Cardiologists to testify in support of this life-saving legislation.

“Tragedies unfold when young athletes experience sudden cardiac events during school sporting events,” said Grewal. “In these critical moments, the presence of an AED and trained staff is indispensable. Studies have shown that in schools equipped with AEDs, approximately 85% of children survive cardiac arrest.”

The committee is expected to vote on H.B. 47 come January. If enacted, Ohio will join several states like Louisiana, Kentucky and Indiana, that have taken steps to prevent sudden cardiac arrest among young athletes in the past year.