Rhode Island

Rhode Island advocates rocked the State House on May 15th during our annual Lobby Day!  The focus of the day was our "CPR in Schools" bill, which would require all high school students to receive hands-on CPR training and an overview of AED use prior to graduation as part of the health education curriculum.  The Rhode Island Senate unanimously passed the legislation on May 7 and advocates urged the House to follow suit.  The group met with Rep. Joe McNamara, Chairman of the House Health, Education and Welfare Committee and sponsor of the "CPR in Schools" bill in the House.  Following the group meeting, advocates visited with their representatives --  and all pledged support for the bill.  Advocates also took a minute to thank their senators for voting YES on this lifesaving measure.

Special thanks to our Lobby Day team: Dr. Lloyd Feit, John Potvin, Tracey Kennedy, Miriam Plitt, Laurie Stephenson, Nancy Blasdell, Lisa Deck, Kathy Harrington, Shandra Printer, Annmarie Hanson, Victoria Smith, Sara McMullen and Korrie Chapman.

RI Lobby Day May 15 - to focus on  "CPR in Schools" Bill!

Please join fellow You’re the Cure advocates at the State House on May 15 for the American Heart Association’s Rhode Island Lobby Day!

This event couldn't be more timely.  On May 7 the RI Senate unanimously approved the AHA's "CPR in Schools" bill, which would require all high school students to receive hands-on CPR training and an overview of automated external defibrillator (AED) use prior to graduation as part of the health education curriculum.  Our focus for Lobby Day will be thanking the Senate - and urging the House to act on this lifesaving measure.  This is a great opportunity for advocates to meet with their senator and representative to promote one of the AHA's top policy priorties for the 2013 Legislative Session.

Rhode Island Lobby Day
May 15, 2013
State House – Providence, RI
3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m

It's not too late to register - please contact Megan Tucker at (401) 330-1708 or megan.tucker@heart.org to sign up today!

Please use your voice and help us make a difference in the lives of Rhode Islanders! 

Great news!  On Tuesday, May 7, the Rhode Island Senate unanimously approved the “CPR in Schools” bill.  This lifesaving measure is one of the AHA’s top policy priorities for the 2013 Legislative Session – and we couldn’t have gotten this far without the passion and continued outreach of our amazing You’re the Cure advocates (like YOU!).

The “CPR in Schools” bill would require all high school students to receive hands-on CPR training and an overview of automated external defibrillator (AED) use prior to graduation as part of the health education curriculum.  We’ve cleared one hurdle, but the bill still needs to be approved by the RI House of Representatives and signed by Governor Chafee before it becomes law.  Be on the lookout for future action alerts and help us keep the pressure on! 

The death toll from sudden cardiac arrest is both staggering and tragic.  This bill has the potential to save hundreds of lives by training a new generation of lifesavers who will be prepared to act if they witness a family member, friend or stranger suffer sudden cardiac arrest.

Thanks to the tremendous outreach of You're the Cure advocates like you, our "CPR in Schools" bill is moving in the Rhode Island Senate!  Please help us keep the pressure on so we can get this lifesaving measure to the Governor's desk.  Click the link below today to urge your senator to VOTE YES on the "CPR in Schools" bill. 

http://yourethecure.org/aha/advocacy/composeletters.aspx?AlertID=32755

The "CPR in Schools" bill would require all high school students to receive hands-on CPR training and an overview of automated external defibrillator (AED) use prior to graduation. 

Please mark your calendar for May 15 and plan to join fellow You’re the Cure advocates at the State House for the American Heart Association’s Rhode Island Lobby Day. 

Click this link to register today: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WSNBF97

Rhode Island Lobby Day
May 15, 2013
State House – Providence, RI
3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m

Lobby Day presents an excellent opportunity to meet with your senator and representative to promote the AHA’s lifesaving policy priorities.  This year we will focus on two important bills: 1) requiring all high school students to receive hands-on CPR training and an overview of automated external defibrillator (AED) use prior to graduation as part of the health education curriculum, and 2) encouraging schools to allow public use of facilities/fields for recreation and sport to support physical activity in our communities.

Please use your voice and help us make a difference in the lives of Rhode Islanders! 

Register today at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WSNBF97

On April 9, Rhode Island advocates John Potvin and Dr. Steven Fera testified before the Senate Health & Human Services Committee in support of legislation that would require all high school students to receive hands-on CPR training and an overview of automated external defibrillator (AED) use prior to graduation as part of the health education curriculum.  This bill is one of the American Heart Association's top policy priorties for 2013.

Want to learn more? Click the link below to view our fact sheet! 

(Please visit the site to view this file)

Special thanks to John and Dr. Fera for their powerful testimony on this lifesaving proposal!

On March 27, RI advocate Laurie Stephenson testified before the Senate Education Committee in support of legislation (S. 440) that would encourage school committees to allow public use of indoor and outdoor school property for recreation or sport.  The bill would also limit the liability of the school committee and municipality for claims of loss and injury arising from such use. 

Laurie noted that “shared use” can help promote and increase options for physical activity in our communities -- and that providing access to recreational facilities is a critical strategy for helping Rhode Islanders be more active.  Click below to read Laurie's testimony. 

(Please visit the site to view this file)

Great news from the State House...

STATE HOUSE – Members of the public will now be able to watch committee hearings -- as well as live Senate and House sessions -- on the Internet for the first time in Rhode Island’s history.

Capitol TV will be able to live stream up to four committee hearings simultaneously, which will allow members of the public to see votes and hearings in real time. Those hearings, as well as the House and Senate sessions, will then be archived so they can be viewed through the Rhode Island General Assembly website on demand.

Currently, Capitol TV airs a live House session and tapes the Senate session to broadcast after. Without web-streaming, the channel could only broadcast one live committee meeting at a time.

“Now there will be more ways than ever for the public to access information and follow bills that they care about,” Speaker of the House Gordon D. Fox said. “It was important to me this year that we do what was necessary to make live streaming and archiving a real possibility. I’m also hopeful that this will encourage more civic participation and engagement in Rhode Island.”

President of the Senate M. Teresa Paiva Weed added, “This upgrade will improve the transparency of the Legislature. Live streaming and archiving of video is among the most significant steps we have taken to use technology to make it easier for the public to engage in the legislative process. This initiative will enable the public to watch in real time video what they previously had to wait to see, and to view past hearings on legislation of interest to them with the click of a button.”

Live web-streaming is one of a slew of technology upgrades that the General Assembly is initiating this year to increase accessibility and transparency for the public. To access archived or streaming videos, go to the General Assembly website at www.rilin.state.ri.us and click on the “Capitol TV” tab. Videos will be posted there, as well as the regular Capitol TV schedule. The General Assembly will continue to show the live House session, committee hearings and additional recordings on Channel 15 for Cox Communications and Full Channel customers, as well as Channel 34 for Verizon customers.

Legislation has been introduced at the State House that would require all high school students to receive hands-on CPR training and an overview of automated external defibrillator (AED) use prior to graduation as part of the health education curriculum.  This bill is one of the American Heart Association’s top priorities for the Legislative Session – and we need your help to get it passed!   

What can you do to help???

1. Contact your representative and senator today and urge them to support the "CPR in Schools" bill.  Just click this link to take action: http://yourethecure.org/aha/advocacy/composeletters.aspx?AlertID=32109
2. Sign a petition!  Click the following link to download a petition - just write a personal note and mail it to Megan Tucker, American Heart Association, One State Street, Suite 200, Providence, RI 02908.  We'll deliver petitions during our RI Lobby Day on May 15.  (Please visit the site to view this file)

Sudden cardiac arrest can happen any place, and at any time.  CPR is the lifesaving solution, doubling or even tripling survival rates.  If bystanders do not perform CPR, most victims die.  Sadly, the demand for CPR is high, but the supply of people with basic CPR skills is low and inconsistent.

Let’s save more lives.
Let’s train the next generation of lifesavers.
Let’s teach Rhode Island students to be CPR Smart.

With “hands-only” CPR, learning the basics of this lifesaving skill has never been faster or easier.  In less than the time it takes to watch a 30 minute TV sitcom, students can receive the skills they need to help save someone’s life with CPR.  With a short time investment, today’s students will become tomorrow’s lifesavers.

State Representative Edie Ajello has introduced a bill that would impose a one-cent per ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages in Rhode Island.  Revenue collected from the tax would be deposited into a new "Prevention and Wellness Trust Fund" aimed at reducing rates of the most prevalent and preventable health conditions; increasing healthy behaviors; increasing the adoption of workplace-wellness programs; addressing health dispartities and, developing a stronger base of effective prevention programming in the Ocean State.

To view the full proposal click the following link:  http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText13/HouseText13/H5228.pdf

Click here to view the AHA's new fact sheet "Decreasing Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption: Policy Approaches to Address Obesity": http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-public/@wcm/@adv/documents/downloadable/ucm_441212.pdf

What do you think of Rep. Ajello's proposal?