Florida's 2024 Session is Underway

Florida's 2024 legislative session began January 9th and is scheduled to end March 8th, lasting a total of 60 days.

This year, we are working hard to: 

• Help schools be prepared for cardiac events by having a cardiac emergency response plan (CERP) in place, as well as ensure coaches are trained in AED usage when they learn how to perform CPR. We also want to secure funding for high schools to teach students CPR, which is a graduation requirement. These efforts are part of the Association's Nation of Lifesavers multi-year initiative to increase the number of bystanders who use CPR in an emergency.
• Secure funding for Heart Health Plus, a program administered by the Florida Department of Health in 15 counties to help Floridians manage risk factors for heart disease, such as blood pressure control, nutrition, and tobacco cessation. We'd like the program to expand into additional counties.
• Get increased eligibility for Florida KidCare across the finish line. In 2023, the Legislature raised the eligibility income threshold for the Children's Health Insurance Program to 300% of the federal poverty line and included the necessary funds in the state budget. While the legislation took effect January 1, we are waiting for the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) to approve this change. We expect CMS to open up a public comment period soon, and we will ask advocates to submit public comment online in support of the issue.

📺 Watch our session kick off replay on YouTube to learn more about our legislative efforts!

We'll count on your help as a You're the Cure advocate to ask your lawmakers for their support, as these issues move through the Legislature. Watch your inbox for future You're the Cure alerts with the latest updates from the state capitol. Speaking of which, please take a few minutes to log into You're the Cure account and verify your contact information is correct. That way, you'll receive our timely alerts and contact the lawmakers who represent you.

Lastly, we want to invite you to register for our virtual Florida Heart Advocacy Day on January 31 at 10 a.m. ET. This is our day to wear red and gather online to raise awareness about the need to address heart disease and stroke prevention and treatment through advocacy. Special this year, we'll hear from several inspirational advocates about how heart disease changed their lives and how they're using those experiences to influence policy change in the hope of saving lives. We hope you'll be inspired by their stories, as we continue advocating for longer, healthier lives in Florida.

Together, we can be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives here in Florida.