HARRISBURG – Today Senator Mike Regan (R-31) held a press conference regarding Senate Bill 836, known as Peyton’s Law, which aims to educate every student athlete and their parents about EKG testing to detect underlying heart conditions that can lead to Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA).
During the legislature’s September session, the Senate unanimously adopted Regan’s Senate Resolution 228, recognizing October as Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month in Pennsylvania, which set the stage for today’s event.
“My motivation for championing this legislation and SCA Awareness is Peyton Walker, a graduate of Trinity High School in Camp Hill, who died from Sudden Cardiac Arrest when she was just 19 years old,” said Regan.
“It has been my honor to work on this issue with Peyton’s proud mother, Julie Walker, Executive Director of The Peyton Walker Foundation.”
“Senate Bill 836 is a vital step in our journey to save more young lives from Sudden Cardiac Arrest,” said Walker. “We know that information is power, and if parents and guardians are alerted to the fact that baseline heart screenings can detect their child’s potential risks for SCA, we believe it should be required that families be presented that life-saving information. We are grateful to Senator Regan for being a heart hero and helping to champion greater awareness of how to prevent these tragic deaths from happening every day across Pennsylvania.”
Also joining Regan and Walker was Scott Stephens, President of the Cody Stephens Foundation out of Texas. Mr. Stephens advocated for recently enacted SCA legislation in Texas, named in memory of his son Cody, which is the basis for Peyton’s Law.
Stephens noted, “I am proud to join Julie Walker, her family, The Peyton Walker Foundation and Senator Regan to work for passage of SB 836 to help spare other families the heartaches of losing a precious young loved one to Sudden Cardiac Arrest such as we have.”
Regan concluded the press conference by commending Senate Education Committee Chairman Wayne Langerholc for scheduling a vote on the bill that afternoon and reminding parents of the importance of the issue.
“As a father of four, Peyton’s and Cody’s stories, as well as so many others, have hit close to home,” stated Regan. “Knowing a simple test could save my children from becoming a victim of SCA motivated me to have my boys screened, and my legislation provides information to parents and empowers them to take the same steps I did.”
Click here for video of the press conference.
CONTACT: Taylor Wamsher, twamsher@pasen.gov, 717-787-8524