Gov. Jay Inslee recently signed Substitute House Bill (SHB) 1556 into to ensure all high school students will receive CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) training before they graduate. SHB 1556 will make CPR education part of health class and will create a new generation of lifesavers.

According to the American Heart Association, nearly 360,000 people in the U.S. suffer sudden cardiac arrest outside of the hospital, and only 9.5 percent survive, often because they don’t receive timely CPR. Bystander CPR, when given right away, can double or even triple a victim’s chances of survival.

In King County, the Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) survival rates are among the best in the world, due in large part to the rigorous paramedic training, research, and quality improvement programs funded by the Medic One Foundation. Survival rates in Seattle alone are more than 56 percent. A CPR trained student could help save the life of a child, their parent, grandparent or teacher.  With the passage of SHB 1556, SCA survival rates are only likely to increase.

A number of organizations supported the passage of this bill including The American Heart Association, The American Stroke Association, Nick of Time Foundation, and Medic One Foundation. The bill was sponsored by first responder Rep. Kevin Van De Wege, D-Sequim.

The bill recognizes that what works for one school might not work for another and is designed to give schools flexibility in how they teach their students. In as little as 20 minutes and at little to no cost to the school, thousands of high school students will be capable of responding to a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) emergency. The bill’s passage will help prepare a generation in which every brother, sister, son, daughter, friend, and stranger is trained in CPR and prepared to save lives.