Indiana lawmakers are considering rolling back parts of a law passed last year that requires schools to have automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, and cardiac emergency response plans.
Supporters of the law say it ensures schools are prepared for sudden cardiac emergencies. But the proposed repeal would make some of those requirements optional.
Julie West of La Porte has been advocating for these protections since losing her 17-year-old son, Jake, who collapsed from sudden cardiac arrest during a high school football practice in 2013. When the law passed last year, West said it brought a sense of relief.
“It was such a relief knowing that there is not going to be a family like mine that have to live with the fact that they sent their child to school thinking that they're in a safe and would not come home,” West said.
Now, she says, that relief has turned to concern. Without a statewide mandate, West worries schools may not consistently implement emergency preparedness measures.
“If they do repeal the law that we just passed and signed by the governor last year, that means schools will take it upon themselves to maybe have AEDs, maybe have a cardiac emergency response plan in place. We can't count on schools to do this,” she said.
West urges parents to be proactive, including having their children screened for heart conditions.
The proposed repeal is scheduled for a hearing Wednesday before the House Education Committee.
