b"In 2019, our organization, Who We Play For, went even further by working to make ECG heart screenings a mandatory component of school sports physical examinations. Brevard and Osceola were the first counties in the United States to implement the requirement, which has now expanded to nine counties in Florida and has helped identify more than 250 kids with potentially deadly heart conditions. In 2020, we helped pass the SCA-related portion of Florida Law HB 7011, also known as The Zac Martin Act. The bill requires each public school that is a member of the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) to make its AED available on school grounds in a clearly marked, publicized location for each athletic contest, practice, workout, or conditioning session, including those outside of the school year. The bill also requires a school employee or volunteer with current training in CPR and AED use to be present at each athletic event on campus, and be made aware of each AEDs location. In 2021, we were successful in passing Florida Law HB 157, which requires public schools to provide CPR and AED training in 9th and 11th grades as a graduation requirement, empowering high school students and creatingLexi Sima revisits the scene of her arrest to thank her rescuers. the next generation of lifesavers. Together, these measures have greatly improved our community's ability to respond to emergencies and protect the lives of our youth. In 2017, Florida was ranked 23rd in the nation for state high school sports safety policy. I am thrilled to share that Florida has been ranked 1st in the nation for the past two years (2021 and 2022), making it the safest state for high school athletes. Currently, a bipartisan national bill called the Access to AED Act is under consideration. If passed, this bill will direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to public and private elementary and secondary schools partnered with nonprofit healthcare organizations to develop and implement comprehensive programs promoting access to AEDs in schools. These funds can be used to: Purchase AEDs and their necessary batteries and maintenance.Replace old and outdated CPR and AED equipment, machinery, and educational materials.Provide CPR and AED training to students, staff, and related sports volunteers. Develop a Cardiac Emergency Response Plan.Assist schools athletic departments in developing heart screening programs for student athletes.Establish a clearinghouse database for the reporting of AED devices already in schools. Establish a clearinghouse database to gather information on sudden cardiac arrest in the pediatric population for further research. Im incredibly proud of the work that Who We Play For has accomplished to-dateLexi and Shawn Sima visit the Florida Legislature and look forward to continuing to advocate for policy changes to save lives. Thatto advocate for CPR training in schools. being said, the greatest sources of joy in my life have unfolded because amazing individuals stepped forward to help save my daughters life. We feel lucky with each passing milestone in Lexis life - high school graduation, nursing school, marriage, and welcoming a beautiful baby girl, Kopelynn Grace, who holds a special place in our hearts. As we celebrate each milestone in Lexi's life, we recognize the significance of the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES) in collecting and analyzing data on pediatric sudden cardiac arrest, emphasizing the critical need for ongoing efforts to gather and utilize this information in communities nationwide. 9"