RELEASE: Gottheimer Announces Bipartisan “Marcus’s Law” to Require Cardiac Screenings for Student Athletes

Above: Gottheimer announces new legislation to protect student athletes from cardiac arrest.

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, NJ — Today, April 20, 2026, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), a member of the Children’s Safety Caucus, announced “Marcus’s Law,” a bipartisan, commonsense bill to require cardiac screenings for high school student athletes and help prevent sudden cardiac death among young people.

“On Dec 27, 2019, our son Marcus Kayal passed away due to sudden cardiac death. Marcus was an asymptomatic, completely healthy student athlete. Our family was devastated by this loss,” said Debbie and George Kayal of the Marcus Kayal Legacy4Life Foundation. “This incredible legislation has the potential to save lives, especially for students who are asymptomatic and have no history of cardiac issues. We are humbled and honored to be connected with this initiative.”

Watch Gottheimer’s full remarks here.

Watch Gottheimer deliver a statement from Hearts4Marcus here.

Gottheimer made the announcement at Westwood Regional High School alongside students, parents, health professionals, local electeds, and advocates.

“Showing up to compete should never mean risking your life,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “That’s what today is about — making sure every young athlete who takes the field or walks onto a court goes home safely.”

Gottheimer continued, “This is a common-sense, life-saving step. We are talking about a simple screening that can detect hidden heart conditions before they become deadly.”

“My goal is to make cardiac screenings a regular part of student healthcare, not an exception,” said Jordan Schwartz. “It’s not enough for these screenings to happen only in Westwood. That’s why I have partnered with Congressman Gottheimer and his team to help create federal legislation that would require cardiac screening for all student athletes before they participate in high school sports.”

“As a parent and athlete myself, I know how important it is to take care of your body and stay on top of your health, said Assemblywoman Lisa Swain. “We train hard, we push ourselves, but we also rely on the right tools and screenings to keep us safe. No family should have to face the loss of a child due to an undetected heart condition when we have the ability to help prevent it.”

Gottheimer’s Marcus’s Law will:

• Require high school student athletes to receive cardiac screenings — including EKGs and echocardiograms — before participating in school sports.
• Help detect hidden heart conditions before they become life-threatening.
• Ensure screenings are accessible by encouraging partnerships with hospitals and providers to offer tests at low or no cost.

We’ve seen heartbreaking cases:

• Mahwah native Marcus Kayal tragically passed away at just 16 years old from an undetected heart condition — “something that, with the right screening, might have saved his life.
• Since 2021, at least 11 young athletes in New Jersey have collapsed during games or practices, and four have tragically died.
• Just this year, a 14-year-old in Northvale and a Teaneck high school junior collapsed during games in North Jersey.

Marcus’s heartbreaking story inspired the creation of the Marcus Kayal Legacy4Life Foundation and the Hearts4Marcus program, which has provided cardiac screenings to students across Northern Jersey.

Gottheimer also highlighted the leadership of Westwood student and family friend of Marcus, Jordan Schwartz, who helped bring cardiac screening programs to local schools, calling his work “life-saving.”

Sudden cardiac arrest is a growing crisis among young people. 1 in 215 children has an undiagnosed heart condition. Without a cardiac screening, students would not know if they were at risk for heart failure while playing sports. Roughly 2,000 young people under 25 die each year from sudden cardiac arrest. That means we lose a young person about every three days.

Gottheimer is also taking additional steps to protect student athletes:

• Calling on the Administration to protect funding for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), which supports research, education, and prevention of heart conditions.
  • President Trump’s proposed budget calls for a $5 million cut to this critical agency that advances crucial research. 
  • The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) supports student cardiac screening through research, funds studies on sudden cardiac death, and partners with the CDC for the Sudden Death in the Young Case Registry to improve data collection. 
  • NHLBI’s Division of Cardiovascular Sciences supports research to help us understand pediatric and adult heart diseases, and supports the development of innovative technologies to diagnose, prevent, and treat heart and vascular diseases before they become fatal.
• Working with his colleagues in Washington to fully fund the HEARTS Act, signed into law in 2024, to expand access to AEDs and improve emergency preparedness in schools.
  • Since the bill was signed into law, no funds have been allocated, limiting the ability to save lives and provide resources to schools. 
  • The HEARTS Act was created after an Edison High student athlete, Kittim Sherrod, died from an undiagnosed heart condition during track practice.
  • Specifically, the HEARTS Act:
    • Allows purchase of lifesaving automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for schools. 
    • Expands CPR and AED training for students, staff, and volunteers. 
    • Establishes cardiac emergency response plans in K–12 schools. 
    • Advances NIH research on cardiomyopathy. 
    • Provides resources and risk assessment tools to help identify youth at risk for cardiac events. 

Gottheimer was joined by Jordan Schwartz, Jonathan Schwartz, Lori Schwartz, Assemblywoman Lisa Swain, Commissioner Germaine Ortiz, Dr. Patrick McQueeney, Westwood Regional Superintendent, Frank Connelly, Westwood Regional High School Principal, Daniel Vivino, Westwood Athletic Director, Washington Twp. Mayor Peter Calamari, Westwood Council President Lauren Letizia, Westwood Councilwoman Erin Collins, and Tom Bisignani, Hackensack Meridian Health Pascack Valley, Market Chief Financial Officer. 

Below: Gottheimer announces new legislation to protect student athletes.

See Gottheimer’s full remarks below.

Thank you, everyone. It’s good to be back in Washington Township, here at Westwood Regional High School — home of the Cardinals — out on this beautiful field, where so many students push themselves every day.

A big thank you to the students, coaches, parents, administrators, and health professionals who took the time to be here. I want to give a very special thank you to one student in particular, Jordan Schwartz, for his incredible leadership. Jordan, what you’ve done here in North Jersey isn’t just impressive. It’s been life-saving work.

You saw a problem, and you took it on. That’s some real Jersey grit.

I’m proud to stand with all of you today in this fight to protect our children, especially our student athletes. 

I know what it means to be out on a field like this. Back in high school, I often ran on a track like this one. I remember the practices, the competition, and the friendships that came with it all.  Sports teach discipline, teamwork, and perseverance. They help shape who you become.  But, showing up to play should never mean risking your life. 

That’s what today is about — making sure every young athlete who takes the field or walks onto a court goes home safely.

Let me start with a story I know that most of us will never forget.

Only a few years ago, Mahwah native Marcus Kayal (KAY-YUHL) was just 16 years old. A student. An athlete. A kid with his whole life ahead of him. By all accounts, healthy and strong.

Then one day, in December 2019, Marcus was at his grandparents’ home spending time with his family, and, suddenly, he collapsed and tragically passed away.

There were no warning signs for his beloved parents, George and Debbie, both retired teachers, or his brothers Jordan, James, Michael, and Joseph.  No symptoms anyone could see. 

His family later learned Marcus had an undetected heart condition — something that could have been caught with the right screening. Something that, with the right screening, might have saved his life. His parents — who I just spoke to — send their love.

Marcus’s family sprang to action and created the Marcus Kayal Legacy4Life Foundation. Their mission is to raise awareness of sudden cardiac death in young individuals and to provide cardiac screening for high school students. They recently completed their fourth year of our Hearts4Marcus program, which provides cardiac screenings to students across Northern New Jersey. They screen about 130 students altogether each year at Mahwah High School and usually catch at least 4 or so students that need to be followed up with by a doctor.

Marcus’s story — and his family — have been a catalyst for change across North Jersey. Several years ago, while in high school, Jordan Schwartz was the vice president of the Wellness Club in Westwood.  He became the first Student Representative to the Westwood Board of Health, helping develop programs that address all kinds of youth health issues. As part of that journey, as part of his commitment to helping students stay healthy, he learned about Marcus’ story, and, after collaborating with the Kayal family, Jordan spent more than two years bringing a cardiac screening program right here to his high school.  

And now, working with Kayal Legacy4Life Foundation and the MCORE Foundation, Jordan has helped shape policy and save lives here in Westwood and beyond.   

The amazing work done by Marcus’s family and Jordan is why we’re here today.

As a father, Marcus’s story is beyond heartbreaking, but, shockingly, it is not uncommon.  Every year, roughly 2,000 young people under 25 die from sudden cardiac arrest in the United States.  That means we lose a young person to sudden cardiac arrest about every three days.

For student athletes, this is the leading cause of death during exercise.

These are kids doing exactly what we encourage them to do. Staying active. Playing sports. Being part of a team.  But, far too often, we don’t know there’s a problem until it’s too late.

Just earlier this year, right here in North Jersey, a Northvale 14-year-old collapsed during a game and had to be revived with an AED. Just one week before that, a Teaneck high school junior collapsed during a basketball game just a few miles from here. 

Since 2021, at least 11 young athletes in New Jersey have collapsed during games or practices, and four of them tragically lost their lives. 

We’ve all seen how quickly this can happen.

We all watched Damar Hamlin collapse on the field during a nationally televised NFL game in 2023.  Bronny James collapsed during basketball practice in 2023.  In both cases, they survived because help was there. People were trained. Equipment was available.  That is what preparedness looks like.

But, we cannot rely on luck or circumstances lining up perfectly. Most student-athletes are not surrounded by professional medical teams or by AED equipment.  We have to do more to prevent these tragedies before they happen.

That’s why today I am announcing new bipartisan federal legislation, Marcus’s Law. Led with my Republican colleague, Congressman Don Bacon from Nebraska, Marcus’s Law will require that all high school student athletes get a cardiac screening before they step onto the field for the first time.  

This is a common-sense, life-saving step.  We are talking about a simple screening of both an electrocardiogram or EKG and an echocardiogram ECG that can detect hidden heart conditions before they become deadly.  These are quick tests, and they’re inexpensive. 

Just as important, this legislation ensures cost is not a barrier. Schools will work with partners such as hospitals or private practitioners to provide screenings at low or no cost, so every student has access.

This is about protecting our kids. Plain and simple.

Just last year, we saw Florida unanimously pass mandatory EKG and ECG screenings for all student athletes with a maximum cost of $20.  I’m expecting most schools to pick up the cost, or to work with local private providers who will help.  Twenty-six other states currently have state legislation drafted within their legislatures, including right here in Jersey.  

We know screening works. Passing Marcus’s law at the federal level will help protect students across the entire country, including here in Jersey. 

We are also taking additional steps to help our students. 

Second, I am calling on the Administration to protect funding for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. This institute plays a critical role in research, education, and prevention when it comes to heart conditions.

Believe it or not, the President’s budget currently calls for a 5 million dollar cut to this critical agency. 

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) supports student cardiac screening through research, funds studies on sudden cardiac death, and partners with the CDC for the Sudden Death in the Young Case Registry to improve data collection.

NHLBI’s Division of Cardiovascular Sciences supports research to help us understand pediatric and adult heart diseases, and supports the development of innovative technologies to diagnose, prevent, and treat heart and vascular diseases before they become fatal.   Cutting it makes zero sense and puts kids’ lives in danger, and I won’t stand for it.  

That’s why I’ll continue to fight to ensure that the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute has the funds it needs to find the best screenings and treatments for our kids.  

Third and finally, I am working with my colleagues to fully fund the instrumental HEARTS Act, which I voted for and was signed into law back in 2024. The HEARTS Act was created after an Edison High student athlete, Kittim Sherrod (KIT-TUM SURE-ODD), died from an undiagnosed heart condition during track practice. 

The shocking incident inspired the HEARTS Act, which ensures schools are better equipped to handle life-threatening cardiac emergencies with vital resources and training, including ensuring we have AEDs in schools and where student athletes are playing, whether that’s near a track, a football field, or on a court. 

Right now, only 40 percent of people who experience cardiac arrest receive immediate help before emergency responders arrive.  Victims of sudden cardiac arrest outside of a hospital, at a gym, school, or sports event, have a 93 percent chance of survival with an AED. Without one, that number plummets to just 9 percent.

That is the difference between life and death.

The HEARTS Act, which will help schools get AEDs, train staff and students, and build emergency response plans, was signed into law. But, it still has not received any of the dollars that were promised, leading to little to no implementation or help for our students and schools.  That’s a joke, and we need to fix it immediately and save lives.

As a member of the Children’s Safety Caucus and the Youth Sports Caucus, I’m committed to working across party lines to protect our young people and student athletes to get all of this done and keep our kids safe.

Let’s honor Kittum.  Let’s honor Marcus. Let’s get this done.

Let’s make sure that every kid who steps onto a field like this one gets to walk off it safely.

I know that if we fight hard and work together, across party lines, we can protect our children, and bring peace of mind to parents and families here in Jersey and across the country.

That’s what we do here in the greatest country in the world, and how we ensure that our best days will always be ahead of us.

Thank you, God bless you, and may God continue to bless the United States of America.

Statement from Hearts4Marcus:

On Dec 27, 2019, our son Marcus Kayal passed away due to sudden cardiac death. Marcus was an asymptomatic, completely healthy student athlete. Our family was devastated by this loss. Shortly after his passing, we discovered that Marcus had an undetected heart condition. Soon after, we established a foundation in his honor and memory, called the Marcus Kayal Legacy4Life Foundation. The mission of our foundation is to raise awareness of sudden cardiac death in young individuals, specifically ages 12-22, and to provide cardiac screening for high school students in our community. We recently completed the fourth year of our Hearts4Marcus program, which provides cardiac screenings to the students at Mahwah High School. We bring in MCORE, a nonprofit organization from Ohio, whose mission is to provide cardiac screening to young individuals across the country. The screening includes an EKG and Echocardiogram. It is voluntary, completely confidential, and performed during the school day. The results are reviewed by a pediatric cardiologist and sent to the parents through a secure portal. Each year, we screen approximately 130 students, and 5-7 are red-flagged with some form of cardiac abnormality. In addition to Hearts4Marcus, we provide First Aid, CPR, and AED Training to managers and coaches at local soccer clubs. We hire a certified American Red Cross instructor to provide this training and we also purchase AEDs for clubs in need. 

We admire and praise the work that Jordan Schwartz has done in establishing a cardiac screening program at his high school in Westwood, and in promoting legislation which mandates cardiac screenings for high school students/athletes in the state of New Jersey. This incredible legislation has the potential to save lives, especially for students who are asymptomatic and have no history of cardiac issues. We are humbled and honored to be connected with this initiative. 

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