After Months Of Advocacy, Majority Leader Schumer Passes Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin’s Lifesaving HEARTS ACT; HEARTS Act Now Heads To The President’s Desk To Become Law

Washington, D.C. – Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has worked with Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin, following his life-threatening cardiac event during a game nearly two years ago, to pass the HEARTS Act, legislation that would put more AEDs into classrooms and help save lives. Today, the HEARTS Act passed the Senate unanimously and heads to the President’s desk to become law.

After standing with Buffalo Bills’ Safety Damar Hamlin, student-athletes, and Bills Mafia earlier this week, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced he successfully passed their lifesaving HEARTS ACT in the Senate, and that it will now head to the President’s desk to be signed into law. When Hamlin went into cardiac arrest during an NFL game in January 2023, the Bills medical team used an AED and performed CPR, saving Hamlin’s life. Following this tragic experience, Hamlin has worked with Schumer to pass this bipartisan legislation, which will help put more AEDs – like the one that saved Damar’s life – into schools and help make CPR training more accessible across America. Hamlin and Schumer worked together to garner bipartisan support for the law, which passed in the House of Representatives earlier this year.

“I’m proud to announce, after months of working with Damar Hamlin and the Buffalo Bills, the Senate has just passed the lifesaving HEARTS Act  to put more AEDs in schools – like the one that saved Damar’s life,” said Leader Schumer. “Damar and I formed the perfect team, bringing together teachers, healthcare leaders, and athletes to ensure every student has access to the kind of life-saving care he did. This legislation goes beyond the field and its impacts will stretch across the country and help millions of kids. Now, the HEARTS Act is headed to the President’s desk to be signed into law and save lives. ”

The bipartisan Cardiomyopathy Health Education, Awareness, Research and Training in Schools (HEARTS) Act will create a grant program at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to support CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) training, in addition to supporting the purchase of AEDs and the development of cardiac emergency response plans, which can more than double survival rates from cardiac arrest by empowering people nearby to dial 911, start CPR and use an AED.

In schools with AEDS, children who experience cardiac arrest are seven times as likely to survive as children in schools without AEDs. Additionally, for people experiencing cardiac arrest, every minute without CPR drops their chances of survival by 10%. With more people confident in their ability to perform CPR, people experiencing cardiac arrest will get the care they need more quickly.

In addition to Leader Schumer, this legislation was led by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Susan Collins (R-ME) and Representatives Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL).

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