[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 139 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 139

 Recognizing the success of lay person CPR training in increasing the 
 rate of survival of cardiac arrest and supporting efforts to enhance 
            public awareness of the need for such training.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 22, 1999

    Mr. Brown of Ohio (for himself, Mr. Greenwood, Mr. Waxman, Ms. 
  Kilpatrick, Mr. McNulty, Mr. Capuano, Mr. Smith of Washington, Mr. 
     Cook, Mr. Fattah, Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania, Mrs. Kelly, Mr. 
    Blumenauer, Mr. Rush, Mr. Stearns, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Mr. 
  Gutierrez, Mr. Weldon of Pennsylvania, Mr. Bentsen, Mr. Thompson of 
   Mississippi, Mr. Lampson, Ms. Millender-McDonald, Mr. Borski, Mr. 
  Markey, and Mr. Green of Texas) submitted the following concurrent 
      resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing the success of lay person CPR training in increasing the 
 rate of survival of cardiac arrest and supporting efforts to enhance 
            public awareness of the need for such training.

Whereas every year more than 480,000 American adults die from coronary heart 
        disease or its complications;
Whereas about half of these deaths result from sudden cardiac arrest;
Whereas the average sudden cardiac arrest survival rate in the United States is 
        just 5 percent;
Whereas victims of these emergencies stand a much better chance of survival if 
        cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is administered immediately after an 
        arrest;
Whereas this depends on the actions of lay persons, an estimated 2 to 3 percent 
        of whom are trained in the administration of CPR;
Whereas as a result of Seattle's concentrated efforts to improve cardiac arrest 
        survival rates, including mass CPR training, the city can boast of an 
        increase in survival rates from 2 percent to 24 percent; and
Whereas National CPR Weekend is supported by the American Heart Association and 
        the American Red Cross and will be observed on the third weekend in 
        September 1999, during National CPR Month, to increase the national 
        survival rate of cardiac arrest by increasing public awareness of the 
        lack of lay person training and the need to become involved in 
        successful training programs: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That--
            (1) it is the sense of the Congress that all Americans 
        should recognize their responsibility to become trained in the 
        life-saving technique of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) 
        and seek the opportunity to halt the devastation of cardiac 
        arrest; and
            (2) the Congress--
                    (A) supports the efforts of the National CPR Task 
                Force in its development of mass CPR training programs 
                in 10 States by the end of 1999, and in every State by 
                the end of 2001; and
                    (B) supports and commends the goals and ideas of 
                the National CPR Weekend initiated by the Task Force in 
                order to facilitate awareness of the training program 
                of the Task Force and the need for individuals to 
                receive training in administering CPR.
                                 <all>