Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn today signed a piece of legislation that would help protect those who offer CPR to a person suffering from an emergency heart attack or cardiac arrest.
House Bill 1549, also known as the Good Samaritan-Good Faith Act, will offer liability protection to those who are trained under the American Heart Association's or the American Red Cross CPR instructions in the event that they offer their CPR knowledge and services in an emergency situation. Specifically the bill signed today by Gov. Quinn amends the Good Samaritan Act and includes this liability protection.
Gov. Quinn signed the bill to not only protect those offering CPR to cardiac arrest or heart attack victims, but to the victims themselves. Before this amendment to the Good Samaritan Act, only certified rescuers were given legal protection against lawsuits. The new law changes the terminology from "certified" to "trained," offering more protection to those suffering from these medical emergencies. Confusion over the previous terminology reduced the number of Good Samaritans willing to offer CPR in a situation due to fear of being sued.
Gov. Quinn spoke about the importance of amending the Good Samaritan Act today. Quinn said, "Citizens who have been trained in CPR should not be reluctant to use their training to help another person in an emergency. CPR saves lives, and we want those who are able, to step up and help their fellow citizens in a crisis without fear of a lawsuit. This law protects good Samaritans and will protect lives."
The bill has also received positive feedback from residents so far. Linda Sinclair, a Chicago resident, said, "My 83-year-old mother suffered from cardiac arrest two years ago in a shopping mall. If it wasn't for a Good Samaritan she wouldn't be here. This law will protect loved ones because more people with CPR knowledge will be willing to help in situations like these."
The bill was a major initiative of the American Red Cross and was supported by the American Heart Association in order to further provide aid to those suffering from emergency heart problems. The American Heart Association reported that more than 300,000 people suffer from sudden cardiac arrest in the U.S. every single year and that less than 8 percent of people who suffer from this medical emergency outside of a hospital actually survive.
The law goes into effect today and both the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross are continuing to promote CPR and offer classes to individuals wishing to seek training.
Rachel Bogart provides an in-depth look at current environmental issues and local Chicago news stories. As a college student from the Chicago suburbs pursuing two science degrees, she applies her knowledge and passion to both topics to garner further public awareness.
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