Killion works to save lives
HARRISBURG >> State Sen. Tom Killion, R-9, has introduced two pieces of legislation aimed at saving lives in different ways.
One bill would establish cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training in Pennsylvania’s high schools, while the second bill is designed to reduce heatstroke deaths for children left in hot weather.
“Good legislation can be written to save lives,” said Killion. “This is certainly the case with my CPR and child heatstroke bills. Both proposals will be top priorities for me in the Senate’s new two-year legislative session.
“My CPR and child heatstroke bills can help prevent tragedies for families. I’m going to push very hard to pass both bills during this legislative cars during session. Both bills will go a long way in helping save lives. This is an important goal for any piece of legislation.”
Leaving children in the car can dangerous.
“Raising awareness about kids in hot vehicles is critical,” Killion said. “Sadly, the national numbers of children who die of heatstroke in cars is rising.
“We must do everything possible to reverse this trend.”
Killion’s CPR legislation, Senate Bill 115, passed the Senate unanimously during the last legislative session but was not considered in the state House. The bill would set new academic standards for CPR training in grades nine through 12 while adding hands-only CPR instruction to Pennsylvania’s education curriculum.
The goal of Killion’s legislation is to prepare generations of students with fundamental life skills.
“The CPR bill can help train future generations of Pennsylvanians how to save lives,” Killion said. “The fact that high school students will be trained on this skill is a tremendous step forward.”
Killion noted that over 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of hospitals each year. There is a less than 10 percent survival rate for sudden cardiac arrest.
If enacted, this instructional enhancement in high schools will substantially expand CPR training in Pennsylvania. Thirtyeight states have similar high school CPR instruction policies.
Killion’s child heatstroke bill also unanimously passed the Senate during the previous legislative session but was not scheduled for a vote in the House. This legislation would extend Good Samaritan civil liability protections to individuals who, in an effort to save an unattended child, breaks a window or forcibly enters a locked vehicle.
In 2018, at least 49 children died from vehicular heatstroke in the United States. Killion’s heatstroke legislation is Senate Bill 49 in memory of the number of children who died in hot cars last year.
Nineteen states have similar laws protecting Good Samaritans who enter locked cars in order to save children from heatstroke.
Killion said, “These laws have helped save lives in other states. It’s time for them to be enacted in Pennsylvania.”