State Senator Brian Jones introduced SB1135 to augment the impact the Eric Paredes Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act has made to protect young hearts. Since its passage in 2017, sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) prevention protocol has continued to evolve, namely with 2022 American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines that call for all youth to get a heart screening at least every three years, and especially upon entry to middle, junior and high school.

Thanks to all your support, SB1135: California Youth Cardiac Screening Pilot was approved in the Senate and unanimously passed the Assembly Education Committee, which also recognized the value of proactive cardiac risk assessment for more of our state’s diverse youth population. The bill was then placed on the Assembly Appropriations Suspense File, where bills are often subject to much politicking, and SB1135 was no exception so it will not advance for a final vote.

We are now working directly with the California Department of Education to advance this initiative that they originally co-sponsored. Learn more at takepreventiontoheart.com.

The concept supports the CDC’s Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model, which recognizes that education, public health and school health sectors must have greater alignment and collaboration, specifically in the areas of health education, health services, community involvement and family engagement, and above all, engaging students as active participants in their learning and health. WSCC asserts that schools play a critical role in promoting the health and safety of young people and establishing lifelong behavior, which is why this bill seeks to collaborate with schools to advance this public health initiative, as well as empower the next generation of life savers to eradicate SCA in their lifetime.