BUFFALO, N.Y. — The U.S. Senate will vote on the bipartisan Cardiomyopathy, Health Education, Awareness, Research and Training in Schools Act later this week. 

Also known as the HEARTS Act, it would put more automated external defibrillators in schools and also make CPR training more prevalent and accessible to schools across the country.

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, whose life was saved by an AED after going into cardiac arrest during a game, joined U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for the announcement. 

What You Need To Know

  • U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced he is bringing legislation to the Senate floor this week that will help put AEDs in schools nationwide

  • The bipartisan legislation passed the House unanimously in September. If passed this week, the bill will be the first of its kind.

  • AEDs are already required in schools in New York state

“Damar’s story shows that every minute counts," said Schumer. "If you don’t have one of these machines and CPR training, and you have to be taken to the hospital, it might be too long. It might be too late. But these machines make sure right away you get the help you need."

According to the American Heart Association, as many as 23,000 children experience cardiac arrest in the United States every year. They say that plans to equip schools with the right skills and equipment can more than double survival rates from cardiac arrest. 

“The saddest calls I receive in my office are from parents who have lost their children because there was not someone around them that knew CPR or there was not an AED,” said Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association.

If passed, the bill would be the first of its kind. The bipartisan legislation passed the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously in September.