At the State Legislative Building in Raleigh on Wednesday, cardiac arrest survivors, medical pros and Carolina Panthers health executive Denny Kellington packed a room and put lawmakers on notice: pass the Smart Heart Act and get every North Carolina school ready for the worst ten seconds of a kid’s life.
The bill on the table would put automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, and coordinated cardiac emergency plans in schools across the state. Advocates say it is not complicated. If someone’s heart stops, immediate CPR and fast access to an AED can mean the difference between a scary story and a funeral.
As reported by ABC11, Kellington, who helped revive NFL player Damar Hamlin in 2023, told lawmakers, “We practice for these events,” and pushed for schools to run routine drills. Joining him were survivors like Hailey Yentz, who suffered cardiac arrest during a workout in February 2025, and 10-year-old Adeline Dinin of Durham, who carries her own AED because of Long QT syndrome. Both described near-misses that they say schools must be prepared for.
What the bill would require
The Smart Heart Act would require every public school unit to adopt a formal Cardiac Emergency Response Plan. That plan must set up a response team, spell out how that team is alerted, and identify which staffers receive annual CPR and AED training.
It would also require at least one AED in every school building, with rules for keeping the device unlocked, easy to spot and reachable within three minutes. The bill adds maintenance and drill requirements and includes a $2 million nonrecurring pot of money to help districts buy devices and build out their plans, according to the North Carolina General Assembly.
Why advocates say it is needed
Nationally, more than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur each year, and nearly 90% are fatal without fast action. Prompt bystander CPR and quick AED use can double or even triple the chances that a victim survives, according to the American Heart Association.
Local gaps and lawmakers’ response
North Carolina is not starting from zero, but the safety net has holes. A North Carolina Department of Public Instruction survey during the 2023-24 school year found that not every school in five counties had an AED on site.
WRAL reported those findings and noted that the Smart Heart measure has already cleared the House with bipartisan support and is now waiting on further action in the legislature.
What is next
Supporters at the State House said the one-time $2 million allocation in the bill should calm cost worries and give districts a running start on buying AED units and training staff. They urged lawmakers to move the bill through the rest of the session so schools can put plans in place and run staff trainings before the next full athletic seasons kick off, ABC11 reported.
If the measure becomes law, the State Board of Education would set statewide rules for AED placement, maintenance and training, and local boards would review their Cardiac Emergency Response Plans every year. Backers say those steps would not make cardiac emergencies common, just far more survivable when they suddenly unfold on school grounds.
