Sen. Dawn Euer has introduced legislation to catch undiagnosed heart conditions in children by ensuring that screening questions about family cardiac history and cardiac symptoms are incorporated in all annual physicals and sports preparticipation physicals for children 19 and under.
Senator Euer was inspired to work on this bill by a Rhode Islander whose family has suffered from a history of undiagnosed heart conditions.
“I know firsthand how critical early detection of cardiovascular diseases can be. I was diagnosed with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy at age 25, not because of symptoms, but because I had the benefit of regular cardiac screenings due to my family history. Many children, however, are not as fortunate. Without proper screening, they may never know they are at risk — until it is too late,” said Matt Grant, a Newport resident.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a disease in which the heart muscle becomes thickened, making it harder to pump blood. Those with the disease rarely show symptoms before serious complications result. Since this disease is usually passed down genetically, thorough screening for family history is essential for prevention.
“Matt’s story emphasizes how important it is to consistently and comprehensively screen for family history and other warning signs of heart disease in children, especially student athletes,” said Senator Euer (D-District 13, Newport, Jamestown). “In many cases, they have no symptoms and their conditions are not discovered until they become much more serious and potentially deadly. This bill is a first step to improve awareness and detection of juvenile heart disease in Rhode Island.”
The Children’s Cardiac Safety Act (2025-S 0322) would include heart disease and family history screenings in physicals for patients 19 and under, including in preparticipation screenings for youth sports. These screenings would be required to be completed within six weeks of the first day of official practice of an athletic season, and would apply to kindergarten through grade 12 students participating in school and community athletics.
The act would also institute a professional development module for health care practitioners who perform these screening to increase their effectiveness. The Department of Health would keep a record of these exams and the number of resulting referrals to a cardiologist in order to analyze the effectiveness of the program and recommend potential changes.
“Rhode Island has an opportunity to be a national leader in childhood cardiac safety,” said Grant. “By passing the Children’s Cardiac Safety Act, this legislature can take a proactive and life-saving step forward. We have the knowledge, we have the medical best practices, and now, we have the opportunity to make sure that no family loses a child to a preventable cardiac condition.”
Rep. Lauren H. Carson (D-Dist. 75, Newport) has introduced companion legislation (2025-H 5087) in the House.
