Sacramento, Calif., October 1, 2026 —
Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 945 (SB 945) into law today, advancing efforts to ensure all high school students have access to lifesaving Hands-Only CPR training and automated external defibrillator (AED) education before graduation and strengthen readiness to respond to cardiac emergencies.
Authored by State Senator Akilah Weber Pierson, M.D., and supported by the American Heart Association, a relentless force changing the future of health for everyone everywhere, SB 945, CPR in Schools, builds on existing California law, which requires Hands-Only CPR instruction in high schools that require a health class for graduation. SB 945 requires the California Instructional Quality Commission to consider adding information about the importance of Hands‑Only CPR and AEDs during its next update of the physical education curriculum framework for all public high schools.
“I am living proof that Hands-Only CPR saves lives,” said Susan Leonard. “When I suffered cardiac arrest, my husband was able to act immediately because he had learned CPR as a teenager. Teaching more people about CPR gives future generations the knowledge and confidence to respond when every second counts.”
Susan Leonard, a cardiac arrest survivor from Sacramento and volunteer with the American Heart Association, knows firsthand the importance of CPR education. Despite having no prior history of heart disease, Susan collapsed at home from cardiac arrest. Her husband, Don, immediately called 911 and began Hands-Only CPR, helping keep her alive until emergency responders arrived. Don learned CPR when he was 18 years old and never expected he would need those skills more than 40 years later. But when Susan collapsed, Hands-Only CPR was the only tool available to help save her life until EMS arrived.
“When more young people like me understand how to recognize cardiac arrest and respond with Hands-Only CPR, communities are better prepared when emergencies happen,” said Hansika Kolli, President of the Vista del Lago High School American Heart Association club. “SB 945 is an important step toward expanding awareness of CPR and AEDs in California schools. This new measure will help more students gain knowledge that could one day help save a life.”
“Every second matters when someone is experiencing cardiac arrest,” said Senator Akilah Weber Pierson, M.D. “SB 945 takes an important step toward ensuring that more California students have the opportunity to gain the knowledge and confidence they need to use CPR and an AED when it matters most. These are lifesaving skills that can make a difference in our schools, our homes and our communities.”
Every year, more than 350,000 people experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital, and nearly 90 percent do not survive. When CPR starts right away, it can double or triple a person’s chance of survival. Expanding awareness of CPR and AEDs among students helps build communities where more people are prepared to take action before emergency responders arrive.
The American Heart Association extends its deep gratitude to Senator Akilah Weber Pierson for authoring SB 945 and championing this important legislation. Every student who trained in Hands-Only CPR and AED use gains knowledge that could help them become a potential lifesaver in a future emergency. Through SB 945, California is taking an important step toward expanding awareness of lifesaving skills and creating safer, more prepared communities.
