Senate passes HEARTS Act promoted by Damar Hamlin to fund AEDs and CPR training

Two years ago, Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest on the field, and his life was saved by a well-trained medical staff and the use of an AED device. Since then, Hamlin has advocated for CPR training and AED devices to be accessible to everyone, and this week a major milestone was reached on that front.

The Senate passed the Cardiomyopathy Health Education, Awareness, Research and Training in Schools Act, also known as the HEARTS Act, which had previously passed the House. President Biden plans to sign the bill, which will fund CPR training and the availability of AEDs. Hamlin himself has advocated for the bill and worked with U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer to help the bill become law.

"Since experiencing cardiac arrest, I've been honored to work with partners who understand how important it is to provide CPR education and have access to AEDs to save lives," Hamlin said. "I'm very grateful to Senator Schumer for his work making his common-sense legislation a priority. My journey has shown us that no one expects cardiac arrest to happen- and we all need to be prepared."

The bill prioritizes funding for purchasing AEDs for schools, providing CPR training, and developing response plans for schools to use in cardiac emergencies.