Senate Education Committee unanimously passes anti-choking device bill

On March 18th, 2025, Senator Kristin M. Corrado of New Jersey said in a Facebook post that she couldn't be more happy that S-908 unanimously passed the Senate Education Committee. She thanked the Chambers Family for sharing their story and the advocates who testified on the importance of such devices.

The Chambers Family represent Maverick's Legacy, a 501c3 non-profit organization that promotes infant and child safety. According to their About Us page, the organization was founded after the tragic passing of 4-month-old Maverick Scott Chambers, who was the victim of a choking accident. Since then, they have donated over 1,200 LifeVac devices.

The bill, sponsored by Senator Kristin Corrado and Senator Parker Space, would require portable anti-choking devices to be placed in schools. While the Chambers family are proponents of the LifeVac device, the bill does not specify what brand of device is to be required, only that devices be approved and registered with the United States Food and Drug Administration. The bill also specifies that school nurses and employees receive training in airway management and in the removal of any obstructions from the airway using a portable anti-choking device, according to a statement made by Senate Education Committee on the bill.

"Airway Clearance Devices are not meant to be a replacement for traditional choking protocols," Senator Corrado said. "Current choking protocols, such as the Heimlich maneuver and back thrusts should always be used initially. An Airway Clearance Device can be used if traditional choking methods cannot be used or are not working".

The people at LifeVac keep a running tally of lives saved by their device, publishing stories sent in by users of their device being used to stop a choking accident in progress, and their most recent testimonial claims 3,476 lives have been saved. They do not publish every story that is sent in, but LifeVac claims every incident is documented and verifiable.