Committee sends sudden‑cardiac‑arrest awareness bill for student athletes to the floor, 8‑5

The House Health & Welfare Committee voted 8‑5 to send House Bill 313 to the House floor with a due‑pass recommendation. The bill, sponsored by Representative Josh Wheeler of District 35, would require sudden cardiac arrest awareness training for coaches, parents and student athletes on a schedule aligned with existing coach trainings.

Sponsor and cosponsor remarks: Wheeler said the bill is a revision of an earlier bill and "provides a consistent standard for providing this training on sudden cardiac arrest awareness to both coaches and parents." Representative Healy, who spoke as co‑sponsor on health elements, described the medical conditions that can cause sudden cardiac arrest in young athletes and argued that wider awareness and access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and trained bystanders…