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

Resources / Press Share on RELEASE: Gottheimer Announces Bipartisan “Marcus’s Law” to Require Cardiac Screenings for Student Athletes Protecting Young Athletes and Preventing Sudden Cardiac Death Apr 20, 2026 Press 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