Women are 27% less likely than men to receive bystander CPR, often due to fears around touching or exposing the chest. To address this, House Bill 4788, sponsored by Rep. Maura Hirschauer (D-Batavia), would require Illinois secondary schools to include female manikins in CPR training starting in the 2028-29 school year.
The idea came from Naperville High School senior Ashlynn Goldstein, who noticed the absence of female manikins during her CPR certifications. Studies show that training with female manikins significantly increases confidence in performing CPR on women.
The bill is currently in committee and faces concerns over costs from school administrators. To address this, the legislation allows for chest covers on existing manikins as a lower-cost alternative. Organizations like Illinois Heart Rescue already provide such resources to underfunded schools.
If passed, Illinois would be the first state to require female manikins in school CPR training, with advocates hoping it inspires similar changes nationwide.