At Edison School Pallone Unveils Bill To Combat Cardiac Arrest Among Young People

EDISON, NJ – On Monday, Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) announced a bill to combat sudden cardiac arrest in young people, especially student-athletes. The Congressman made the announcement at an event held at the Edison High School.

The Cardiomyopathy Health, Education, Awareness, Research and Training in Schools (HEARTS) Act requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to coordinate with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), patient advocacy groups, and health professional organizations to develop educational materials and resources on cardiomyopathy for public awareness and to distribute materials to schools, teachers, and parents.

The bill also calls for guidelines regarding the placement of life-saving automated external defibrillators in schools, as well as information on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training.

In 2009, Kittim Sherrod, an Edison High School student and football star, died tragically from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy after going into sudden cardiac arrest during track and field practice.

“All too often, otherwise healthy young people die tragically from sudden cardiac arrest – a silent killer that strikes too many students each year,” Pallone said. “It’s critical that weraise awareness about the causes of sudden cardiac arrest and ensure schools are more prepared to deal with cardiac emergencies so we can prevent these tragic deaths. I’m proud to introduce the HEARTS Act to take these much-needed measures to combat this devastating condition in young people.”

According to CDC, an estimated 2,000 young people under the age of 25 die each year of sudden cardiac arrest.

Mary M. Newman, President, Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation said the organization “strongly supports” the HEARTS Act of 2023.

“We believe the HEARTS Act will be a crucial step toward addressing a major health crisis. The incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) among young people, especially student-athletes, underscores the urgency of taking proactive measures to increase risk assessment, awareness, and education—as well as ensuring schools and sports fields have cardiac emergency response plans that include ready access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and CPR-AED trained responders,” Newman said.

“By supporting the Cardiomyopathy HEARTS Act, Congress can take a significant step toward mitigating the impact of OHCA in youth. The Act will not only save lives but also help create more informed and prepared communities.”

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