Legislation & Advocacy
Through local, state, and federal laws and advocacy bills, WWPF has worked alongside our partners to educate millions on the immense public health crisis that is SCA. WWPF and our partners focus on legislation and advocacy related to:
ECG heart screenings for students and young adults
AED placement and accessibility
Cardiac emergency response plan
Cardiac risk assessment in students and young adults
CPR training
SCA prevention training
Highlight of Current Major Legislative, Policy, and Advocacy Initiatives
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Florida - Mandates ECG screening for all student-athletes prior to participation in school sports.
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Federal grants for nationwide AED placement, CPR training, and emergency preparedness in schools; inspired by Rafe Maccarone’s legacy.
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Encourages public schools to conduct annual AED/CPR drills and improve cardiac emergency readiness and AED awareness.
ECG Heart Screening Initiatives
WWPF is constantly pushing for advances in the number of communities that recommend and/or require ECG heart screenings. In 2019, Brevard and Osceola Counties in Florida became the 1st counties in the United States to ensure that every student that participates in an athletic program is REQUIRED to have a ECG preformed as part of the sports physical examination.
Due to the overwhelming success of the program and the number of children that have been identified with deadly conditions over the last two years, several other Florida School Districts have followed on.
Prior to the HB 1070 - Second Chance Act being passed in 2025, the following counties were already mandating screenings for their students:
Orange County (9th largest county in the United States)
Brevard County
Osceola County
Seminole County
Highland County
Flagler County
Indian River County
Volusia County
CPR & AED Laws Passed
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Requires one AED per public school by July 2027; CPR/AED training once in middle and high school; district-wide Cardiac Emergency Response Plans (CERP).
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911 tele-communicators must complete biennial telephone-CPR training; enables cross-agency reciprocity for certified staff.
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Required CPR/AED training in 9th and 11th grade as a graduation requirement. Empowers high school students with at least one (1) hour of training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use of an automated external defibrillator (AED), thus creating the next generation of life-savers.
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Requires all athletic coaches to hold CPR certification; mandates first aid and emergency guidelines thorugh governing bodies.
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Brevard County School District now requires CPR and AED training as a graduation requirement
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School districts are ENCOURAGED to provide basic training in first aid, including CPR, for all students beginning in grade 6 and for every two years thereafter.
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Encourages public schools with automated external defibrillators (AEDs), during time allocated under state law for training personnel in emergency first aid and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), to train personnel in the use of AEDs.
View the Bill
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Beginning June 2021, an automated external defibrillator (AED) is required at all school athletic events, practices, and workouts, along with a school employee or volunteer trained in its use and in the application of CPR. Prior to the law, the state only recommended the training and defibrillators were only required at state playoff and championship games.