CPR Bill Signed into Law: High school students to learn life-saving skills

ST. PAUL, MINN., April 23, 2012 – Every high school student in Minnesota will now learn the life-saving skills of CPR. On Monday, April 23, 2012, Gov. Mark Dayton signed the CPR Training in Schools bill (HF 2329/SF 1908) into law.

“We are so pleased that Gov. Dayton saw how this bill will save lives,” said Justin Bell, government relations director for the American Heart Association. “We are so grateful to the co-authors who championed this bill throughout session including Senators Dan Hall (R-Burnsville), Carla Nelson (R-Rochester), Chuck Wiger (D-Maplewood) and Leroy Stumpf (D-Plummer), and Representatives Jennifer Loon (R-Eden Prairie), Bob Dettmer (R-Forest Lake), Mindy Grieling (D-Roseville) and Mary Liz Holberg (R-Lakeville).”

With this bill, Minnesota students between grades 7 and 12 will receive hands-only CPR training at least once before they graduate. The training can occur in as little as 30 minutes and local volunteer fire fighters and EMTs can assist with the training. The bill will be implemented for the 2014-15 school year.

Sudden cardiac arrest strikes 42 people every hour in the U.S. including nearly 6,000 children each year. The survival rate for cardiac arrest that occurs outside of a hospital is less than 7 percent but with bystander CPR the survival rate can triple.

“This bill will train an entire generation to be life-savers,” Bell added.

To send a messge of thanks to Minnesota legislators, please follow this link: http://bit.ly/I5qXvz