Lindsay’s Law: Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Youth Athletes

What is Sudden Cardiac Arrest? A Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) occurs when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating, cutting off blood flow to the brain and other vital organs.  Sudden cardiac arrest is fatal if not treated immediately, most often by a defibrillator. Who is Lindsay? Senate Bill 252 is named for national heart health advocate and former Miss Ohio Lindsay Davis who suffers from a heart condition and has since dedicated her career to raising awareness of this potentially fatal condition. "Sudden cardiac arrest is the number one killer of student athletes," said Davis. "At any moment I could have died because coaches and teachers had no idea this was even a possibility for someone who looked as healthy as I did at that age."   Lindsay’s Law Lindsay’s Law, Ohio Revised Code 3313.5310, 3707.58 and 3707.59 went into effect in 2017. In accordance with this law, the Ohio Department of Health, the Ohio Department of Education, the Ohio High School Athletic Association, the Ohio Chapter of the American College of Cardiology and other stakeholders jointly developed guidelines and other relevant materials to inform and educate students and youth athletes participating in or desiring to participate in an athletic activity, their parents, and their coaches about the nature and warning signs of sudden cardiac arrest.

The following resources were developed to implement Lindsay’s Law:

For frequently asked questions and answers, click here.

For parents/guardians and youth athletes:

• Required video
• Required SCA Informational Handout
• Required Signature Form

For coaches:

• If you are a coach for an interscholastic sport and are licensed by the Ohio Department of Education, please visit their website for information about their training requirements around Lindsay’s Law.
• If you are a coach for an interscholastic sport, but do not have a current license by the Ohio Department of Education, or are a coach in a community program, please use the following resources:
  • Required video
  • Required SCA Informational Handout

Contact Information

Ohio Department of Health
School Nursing Program
246 North High Street, 7th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215