Bill Text: MI HR0055 | 2015-2016 | 98th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: A resolution to declare April 2015 as Student Athlete Cardiac Awareness Month in the state of Michigan.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 10-5)
Status: (Passed) 2015-04-15 - Adopted [HR0055 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2015-HR0055-Enrolled.html
Reps. Howrylak, Victory, Maturen, Bizon, Leutheuser, Driskell, Heise, Hoadley, Hooker, Hughes, Kelly, McCready, Moss, Sarah Roberts and Singh offered the following resolution:
House Resolution No. 55.
A resolution to declare April 2015 as Student Athlete Cardiac Awareness Month in the state of Michigan.
Whereas, The state of Michigan has lost at least 63 students to sudden cardiac arrest and related causes since December 1999; and
Whereas, Those students lost include: 15-year-old Kimberly Anne Gillary, a student of Troy Athens High School who suffered a sudden cardiac arrest in a high school water polo game at Birmingham Groves High School on April 1, 2000; Kayla Stanford, a student at Ypsilanti East Middle School, who suffered a cardiac arrest after completing track practice on March 29, 2006; Thomas Noah Smith, a student of Flushing High School, who suffered a sudden cardiac arrest on January 29, 2011; and Wes Leonard, a student at Fennville High school who suffered a sudden cardiac arrest after scoring the winning basket in a basketball game on March 4, 2011, and
Whereas, The families of Kimberly Anne Gillary, Kayla Stanford, Thomas Noah Smith and Wes Leonard have established Foundations (the “Foundations”) in the memory of their lost sons and daughters to try to prevent other families from losing their sons and daughters to sudden cardiac arrest at school, and
Whereas, The Foundations have donated more than 800 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to high schools and intermediate schools in the State of Michigan and have provided training to teachers and staff on the use of an AED and in CPR, and
Whereas, Approximately 75% of all Michigan high schools now have at least one AED on site due to the efforts of the Foundations founded by the families, and
Whereas, There have been at least 11 lives saved at Michigan high schools as a result of AEDs donated by the Foundations and other concerned organizations including 9 students, and
Whereas, As a result of the efforts of the Foundations, the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH), and the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) there is an increased awareness of the importance of more effective pre-participation screening of our high school student athletes and of having readily available AEDs in our high schools, and
Whereas, The Foundations have worked with the Michigan Department of Community Health to develop the Michigan HeartSafe School Program to encourage Michigan high schools to receive certification as a Michigan HeartSafe School, and
Whereas, The Michigan Legislature has passed legislation to amend MCL 29.19 to require the governing body of any school in Michigan that operates any of grades kindergarten to 12 to adopt and implement a Cardiac Emergency Response Plan for the school, and
Whereas, Governor Snyder signed legislation to amend MCL 29.19 on February 25, 2014, thereby establishing that it is the public policy of the State of Michigan that Michigan schools be adequately prepared to respond to a cardiac emergency on school property; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives, That the members of this legislative body declare April 2015 as Student Athlete Cardiac Awareness Month in the state of Michigan; and be it further
Resolved, That the people of the state of Michigan are encouraged to become more aware of the importance of improved pre-participation screening of our student athletes and the preparedness of our citizenry and public employees to respond to the sudden cardiac arrest of our sons and daughters while entrusted to our public schools in the course of their education; and be it further
Resolved, That the State Board of Education be urged to include provisions in policies and regulations for AED training in student health education courses and for regular AED drills, so that students and staff will be better prepared to use AEDs to save lives in schools and other public places; and be it further
Resolved, That the State Board of Education advise schools to facilitate the education of students and their families to identify situations where students may be at risk; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to The Kimberly Anne Gillary Foundation, The KAYLA Foundation, The Thomas Smith Memorial Foundation, The Wes Leonard Heart Team and the State Board of Education as a symbol of our support.
