Although the 2009-2010 legislative session did not include final legislative or regulatory victories for the American Heart Association, it’s important to reflect on the significant accomplishments that were made to advance so many of, and raise more awareness about, our policy issues: HB 816, which would have expanded the Department of Health’s Heart Disease and Stroke Program, was supported by the entire House but was held up in Senate Committee; HB 1572, which would have established nutritional standards for beverages and snack foods, was supported by the entire House but was held up in Senate Committee; influenced the State Board of Education’s decision to adopt some of the strongest nutrition and physical education standards in the nation, but was ultimately stalled by Pennsylvania’s very complicated regulatory process; we generated significant support in both the House and Senate for a bill that would ensure every school building was equipped with an AED and appropriate emergency medical response plans were in place, but was held up in the Senate; while there were minor cuts in tobacco prevention and cessation funding, we were successful in protecting the funding from being eliminated altogether; and we helped drive a statewide campaign to educate legislators on the importance of creating tax parity among tobacco products.

Pennsylvania advocates should be incredibly proud of the work they did to help bring attention to these important policies and help advance them through the legislative process!

Looking forward to the new 2011-2012 legislative session, the American Heart Association anticipates a full and busy public policy agenda. Anticipated agenda items will include: expanding AED/CPR Good Samaritan protections to ensure AED program facilitators and CPR bystanders are protected from lawsuits when they come to the aid of a victim in SCA; building support for ensuring that all high school students receive CPR training before graduation; establishing strong nutrition standards for beverages and snack foods sold in schools; creating tax parity among tobacco products; preserving Tobacco Prevention and Cessation funding; and continuing to build support to expand Pennsylvania’s Heart Disease and Stroke Program.

We look forward to continuing to work with you on these issues!  Stay tuned!