House Bill 113, a bill supported by the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians to require instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the use of automated external defibrillators as a requirement for high school graduation, passed the Ohio General Assembly on May 25 and is on its way to Governor John Kasich for signing.
On May 25, the House concurred with Senate amendments to the bill, which was the last hurdle to passage.
CPR training is currently part of the prescribed school curriculum, but students can meet the requirement by just reading an article or watching a DVD. This bill, sponsored by State Representative Cheryl Grossman (R-Grove City, OH), would require students to complete hands-only physical motor skills on a manikin. The individual doing the training would not have to be CPR-certified; it’s merely 30 minutes of training sometime before graduation. To date, 27 states have passed laws regarding this issue.
Supporters include the American Heart Association, OhioHealth, OSU Wexner Medical Center, the Ohio School Nurses Association, the Ohio Education Association, the Ohio Association of Professional Firefighters, and the Cleveland Clinic. The OAFP supported this legislation at the request of the American Heart Association.