Connecticut Athletic Trainers' Association

The Connecticut Athletic Trainers' Association (CATA) strives to improve the quality of health care for athletes, patients and clients and enhance the profession of Athletic Training, through leadership, education, and cooperative efforts with other organizations and allied health professions.

AED Legislation

Contact Senators Dodd & Lieberman to Co-Sponsor S.1197 – AED funding for schools!

Please contact Senator Christopher Dodd and Senator Joseph Lieberman and ask them to sign on as co-sponsors of S. 1197, the Josh Miller HEARTS (Helping Everyone Access Responsive Treatment in Schools) Act of 2009. The Josh Miller HEARTS Act would establish a federal matching grant program to help increase the availability of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in elementary and secondary schools nationwide, as well as require that grant recipients integrate AEDs into their school's emergency response plan or procedures. This bill is modeled after a successful initiative in Ohio which provided schools statewide with AEDs.

Click here for a sample letter and contact information.

The CATA was successful in advocating for two bills during the 2009 session of the CT General Assembly that will directly affect public safety in Connecticut. We partnered with the American Heart Association to advocate for legislation related to automatic external defibrillators (AEDs), and are pleased to report that both bills were passed by the CT General assembly, and have been signed by the Governor.

AEDs in Schools in Connecticut

Public Act 09-94 (SB 981 "An Act Concerning the Availability of Automatic External Defibrillators in Schools") requires schools in CT to have at least one AED accessible both during and after the school day for school-sponsored activities and events, including athletics. It allows schools to accept donations, seek grant funding, and fundraise in order to acquire AEDs. This legislation took effect July 1, 2009 and gives schools until July 1, 2010 to comply.

Good Samaritan Protection & AEDs

Public Act 09-59 (SB 1089 “An Act Concerning Automatic External Defibrillators”) provides Good Samaritan protection for the entity providing an AED, closing a loophole in the state's Good Samaritan statute that kept many businesses and organizations, including youth sports teams, from accepting donated AEDs or otherwise acquiring AEDs because of fear of liability. This legislation is effective October 1, 2009.

The user of an AED (i.e., the “Good Samaritan”) is protected in Connecticut.