Ohio House votes to mandate defibrillators in schools, sports venues after collapse of Bills’ Hamlin

By SAMANTHA HENDRICKSON
Associated Press/Report For America

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Automatic external defibrillators, or AEDs, would be placed in nearly every school or sports and recreation venue in Ohio under a proposal that cleared the Republican-dominated Ohio House with overwhelming bipartisan support. The legislation was sparked by the sudden cardiac arrest of Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin in January on the field during a National Football League game in Cincinnati. It would require employees to undergo special training on using AEDs and recognizing the signs of cardiac arrest. Schools and other locations also have to hold informational sessions for students before each athletic season. The proposal that passed the House on Wednesday now heads next to the Senate.