Florida high school students will soon have to take CPR training to graduate from high school.
After getting Gov. Ron DeSantis' final approval Monday, HB 157 will go into effect on July 1.
The law will require school districts to provide basic training in first aid and CPR for students in ninth and 11th grades. It also encourages school districts to provide the same training for students in grades six and eight.
Cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death on campus and is also the leading cause of death to student-athletes, according to the Senate version of the bill. The American Heart Associates says one in five victims of fatal cardiac arrests could be saved had bystanders given CPR, the bill states.
Lexi Sima was 16 when she survived a sudden cardiac arrest. Since then, her father Shawn Sima has worked for four years to get the bill to pass.
"It's going to be a game-changer. We don't have to stand by our loved ones or somebody else's loved ones die."
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