WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Lois Capps’ remarks, as prepared for delivery, on the Josh Miller HEARTS Act:
“Thank you, Ken and Jerri Miller for sharing your powerful story.
“I’m proud to be a cosponsor of this bill and I want to commend Betty Sutton for introducing this much needed legislation.
“As a former school nurse, I have long worked to make AED’s more accessible. Several years ago I introduced the Community AED Act, to place AED’s in public places and I was the lead cosponsor of the ADAM Act, which created a clearinghouse of information about AEDs and public defibrillation so that schools could begin placing them throughout their facilities.
“I am proud to say that both of these bills were passed into law, but we need to do more to ensure that this life saving technology is readily accessible to the public.
The Josh Miller HEARTS Act compliments these earlier efforts perfectly by smartly directing grants to schools so that they can place AED’s on campus.
“We have heard and will hear stories that demonstrate how crucial having an AED nearby is when someone goes into sudden cardiac arrest. Half the people who suffer from sudden cardiac arrest have not shown any previous symptoms and are considered healthy. Unfortunately these deadly attacks can strike anyone, anywhere, at any time.
“This legislation will help ensure that we are prepared to respond.”
###
Pictured above: (center) Congresswoman Capps meets with
