During a "Monday Night Football" game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2, 2023, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest on the field after a tackle, leaving him in critical condition. Since that scary moment, Hamlin has been an advocate for accessible AEDs in communities and encouraging people to learn CPR.
Earlier this month, The United States Senate unanimously voted to pass the HEARTS Act, a bill supported by Hamlin to provide grants to schools to support the purchase of automated external defibrillators, CPR and AED training, and the development of cardiac emergency response plans. On Monday, President Joe Biden signed the bill into law.
Hamlin worked with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on the bill, and the NFL's Smart Hearts Coalition also supported their aim to help improve heart health education around the country.
"It's super dope, man. Shoutout to Senator Schumer. Shoutout to the Smart Hearts Coalition. Shoutout to the American Heart Association and to my Chasing M's foundation," Hamlin said when the Senate passed the bill, via ESPN. "We all came together to make some legacy off the field. I always wanted to, in my life, leave a legacy on the field, but to have a legacy and have meaning and purpose off the field."
The Bills safety discussed the importance of the care he received, wanting to make sure everyone has access to the medical attention he did.
"I believe that every single one of them deserve the same kind of care that I had," Hamlin said Monday at an event announcing plans to bring the bill to the Senate floor, per ESPN. "As far as kids growing up who want to chase their dreams and want to pursue anything that they want to do. And we have a chance to be impacting the next generation. We got a chance to make history."
The House of Representatives passed the bill in September.
Hamlin made an incredible return to the league, after the near-fatal incident. He returned in October of 2023 and is now a starter for the 12-3 playoff-bound Bills.