Children’s Cardiac Safety Act – Model Language


SECTION 1. Cardiovascular Prescreening for Student Athletes. 

  1. Beginning in the 20xx – 20xx school year, a qualified health professional who performs a physical examination for student athletes shall include a cardiovascular prescreening that follows nationally recognized, evidence-based guidelines recommended by organizations focused on cardiovascular care in pediatric populations.
  2. Key prescreening elements shall include a targeted personal history and family history, and focused physical examination to detect or raise suspicion for cardiovascular disease.
  3. Personal history: Prior elevated systemic blood pressure, unexplained exertional chest pain or syncope, palpitations, or decreased exercise tolerance.
  4. Family history: Known cardiac conditions (e.g., cardiomyopathy, arrhythmia syndromes, atrial fibrillation, implanted medical devices, cardiac medication, premature sudden cardiac death, unexplained drowning or seizures). 
  5. Physical examination: Detection of a pathologic heart murmur, irregular rhythm, abnormal pulses, or other findings suggestive of structural or electrical heart disease.
  6. Athletes with positive findings should be referred to a cardiologist for further evaluation and testing.
  7. Prescreening shall take place no earlier than 3 months prior to the start of the athletic season in which the student participates.
  8. The State Department of Health shall compile and publish on its website an annual report containing the total number of exams that were completed and the number of referrals that were made to cardiology. The report shall analyze the outcomes of this legislation and be made publicly available.
  9. Monitoring should record the total number of screenings (utilization and uptake by clinicians), proportion of positive screens and follow-up and where possible, data regarding the follow-up, including false positive rates, and additional diagnostic studies.


SECTION 2. Cardiovascular Prescreening for All Students. 

  1. Beginning in the 20xx – 20xx school year, the opportunity for prescreening shall be extended to all students; and
  2. Shall incorporate the cardiovascular prescreening into annual well-child visits, ensuring all students receive the prescreening.
  3. Prescreenings shall be performed by a qualified health professional and shall follow nationally recognized, evidence-based guidelines recommended by organizations focused on cardiovascular care in pediatric populations. 
  4. Key prescreening elements shall include a targeted personal history and family history, and focused physical examination to detect or raise suspicion for cardiovascular disease.
  5. Personal history: Prior elevated systemic blood pressure, unexplained exertional chest pain or syncope, palpitations, or decreased exercise tolerance.
  6. Family history: Known cardiac conditions (e.g., cardiomyopathy, arrhythmia syndromes, atrial fibrillation, implanted medical devices, cardiac medication, premature sudden cardiac death, unexplained drowning or seizures). 
  7. Physical examination: Detection of a pathologic heart murmur, irregular rhythm, abnormal pulses, or other findings suggestive of structural or electrical heart disease.


SECTION 3. Provide education materials for children and families.

  1. The State Department of Education in collaboration with the State Department of Health shall distribute education materials that provide information about the disease that can cause sudden cardiac arrest and heart failure to children and their families that follows evidence-based science. 
  2. Beginning in the 20XX-20XX school year, each school district shall annually distribute the education materials to parents or guardians of students participating in school sports as part of the student’s preparticipation physical examination and completion of athletic permission forms.


SECTION 4. Professional education for healthcare professionals. 

  1. Policies, programs, training, and continuing education that increase provider knowledge of prescreening guidelines should be implemented. This shall include:
  2. How to complete the cardiovascular risk assessment, including collecting family history and personal reports of symptoms;
  3. Identifying early signs of cardiac arrest and heart failure through physical examination; and
  4. Referral procedures for positive findings.


SECTION 5. Rules and Regulations. 

  1. The State Department of Education in consultation with the State Department of Health, pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act” shall adopt rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this act that follow nationally recognized, evidence-based guidelines recommended by organizations focused on cardiovascular care in pediatric populations.