New Jersey and Janet's Law

In New Jersey, local lawmakers and parents have made headway in growing awareness of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) and the need for AEDs in schools.

Assembly Republication Leader, Jon Bramnick sponsored the new legislation named “Janet’s Law”, named after the 11-year-old cheerleader, Janet Zilinski, who died August 2006 at a cheerleading practice from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). “Janet’s Law” requires New Jersey schools, both public and non-public, to be equipped with automated external defibrillators (AED) and to establish plans for responding to cardiac events and other emergencies.

The legislation piece also trains school officials, faculty and coaches on how to operate AEDs in case of an emergency. Although AEDs often come with computer-generated voice instructions, Janet’s parents, Jim and Karen Zilinski, pushed for the past six years to have AEDs and training as available as fire extinguishers. Statistically, the faster the response to a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) with an AED, the higher the chances of the victim surviving. The Zilinski’s created the Janet Zilinski Memorial Fund to raise awareness about sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and to help others understand the devastating effects and to react calmly in the moments before trained emergency response personnel arrive. The legislation, originally named Bill A-1608 in the Assembly, was unanimously approved by both houses of the Legislature this year.