NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell joined Governor Bill Lee in celebrating a newly enacted law that requires all Tennessee high schools to keep an automated external defibrillator available during classes, athletic practices and games
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell joined Gov. Bill Lee on Tuesday to celebrate Tennessee’s new law that requires all high schools to keep an automated external defibrillator available during classes, athletic practices and games.
Lee signed the legislation earlier this year, but held a formal ceremony Tuesday marking the “Smart Heart Act” at Nashville’s Pearl-Cohn High School. Goodell is in Nashville for the NFL spring meetings.
According to the statute, any public school in grades 9 through 12 must define, review and rehearse an emergency plan to be ready when students experience cardiac arrest or other life-threatening injuries. The law also requires that school personnel, both on and off the field, be trained in both CPR and the use of AEDs.
These are the three requirements that the Smart Heart Sports Coalition wants to see adopted in all 50 states by launch in March 2023. The coalition includes the NFL and other major sports leagues and health advocacy groups that try to prevent students from high school students die from sudden cardiac arrest.
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest during a game in Cincinnati on January 2, 2023. He had to be resuscitated with the game canceled. He returned to play last season.
Bronny James, son of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, went into cardiac arrest on July 24 during practice at the University of Southern California, which led to the diagnosis of a congenital heart defect.
A Vanderbilt men’s basketball player collapsed during practice in March 2006. An AED also restarted his heart. Davis Nwankwo was later diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
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Associated Press sports writer Teresa Walker contributed to this report.
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