WORTHINGTON, Ohio — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed a bill on Tuesday requiring automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, to be placed in every public and nonpublic school in the state.
House Bill 47 was introduced in February 2023. It passed by the House in June of that year. The Ohio Senate then passed the bill on June 26, 2024.
Under the bill, employees would be required to undergo special training on how to use AEDs and recognize the signs of cardiac arrest. Informational sessions for students on sudden cardiac arrest would be required before the start of any athletic season.
The measure also calls for the Ohio Department of Health to develop a model emergency action plan for schools, centers and sports groups to adopt on the use of AEDs.
“The evidence is clear: AEDs save lives,” DeWine said. “While we know that sudden cardiac arrest is the number one killer of student-athletes in America, we also know the vast majority who get immediate help from an AED survive. The difference these devices make is astounding. Having them on standby in our schools to safeguard our students is a must.”
Before House Bill 47, state law allowed school districts to require AEDs on-site, but It’s an elective decision left to individual districts.
House Bill 47 was sparked by the sudden cardiac arrest of Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin in January 2023 on the field during a football game in Cincinnati.
State Rep. Adam Bird of New Richmond, one of the bill's sponsors, said he's confident many districts already have AEDs, but making it a requirement can help further protect students.
Medical groups, emergency responders and those whose lives were saved by having access to an AED during a cardiac episode testified during hearings in support of the bill.
According to the CDC, more than 356,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur each year in the United States. An estimated 70-90% of these people die before reaching the hospital. However, the American Heart Association reports that nine out of 10 cardiac arrest victims will live if they receive a shock from an AED in the first minute after an incident.
DeWine signed the bill at Worthington Kilbourne High School. He was joined by student-athlete Canen Dickman and his family. Dickman's life was saved last year after he collapsed from a sudden cardiac arrest during a summer soccer practice.