A new law known as the Second Chance Act (SB 1070) aims to protect Florida’s high school athletes by requiring heart screenings before they take the field.

Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, Florida will become the first state in the nation to mandate electrocardiogram (EKG) screenings for all student athletes in grades 9-12 before their first athletic competition. EKGs conducted up to two years before the start of that school year will meet the requirement, as long as they follow guidelines set by the state’s Sports Medicine Advisory Committee.

If a screening reveals an abnormality, the student will be sidelined until medically cleared to play.

The law also encourages schools to pursue partnerships with private organizations to help cover EKG costs, aiming to make the screenings more affordable for families.

The legislation comes amid growing concern about undiagnosed heart conditions in teens, which can lead to sudden cardiac arrest — a leading cause of death among student athletes.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the law in honor of Chance Gainer, a high school football player from the Florida Panhandle who died in 2024 after collapsing during a game.

The bill gained momentum after 16-year-old Lexi Sima suffered sudden cardiac arrest while jogging on a treadmill. She survived thanks to bystanders who performed CPR and used a defibrillator until emergency services arrived. Her father, Shawn Sima, said her heart condition had gone undetected — something that an EKG could have revealed.

“When an EKG is done correctly, it can detect 70 to 95 percent of the heart conditions that claim young lives,” said Sima, now the impact director for the nonprofit Who We Play For.

Medical experts and cardiologists have praised the new law, calling it a critical step toward early detection and prevention of potentially fatal heart conditions.

The Second Chance Act, which took effect July 1, also requires every public elementary, middle, and high school in Florida to have at least one automated external defibrillator (AED) on campus. That requirement will also go into effect for the 2026-27 school year.

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