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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2017 - 2018
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | April 26, 2017 09:46 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Thomas H. Killion |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Preventing Heatstroke-Related Death or Serious Injury To An Unattended Child By Extending Civil Immunity |
| Please join me in co-sponsoring legislation that would prevent a heatstroke-related death or serious injury to an unattended child, by extending Good Samaritan civil immunity to a person who, in an effort to save the child, breaks a window or forcibly enters a parked, locked vehicle. In an effort to save lives, we extend Good Samaritan laws to bystanders in other emergency situations, such as in the case of advanced life support or medical care and assistance. These laws exist to encourage bystanders to help persons in a life-threatening situation. At least 10 states have Good Samaritan laws for preventing the death of a child, due to heatstroke, in locked vehicles; including Ohio and Virginia. On average nationwide, every 9 days a child dies from heatstroke in a vehicle. Last year, 39 children across the nation died from vehicular heatstroke. As of today’s date, 5 children in the U.S. have died from heatstroke inside vehicles. Unfortunately, a one-year old child died on Friday, April 14, 2017 in Texas. At this same time last year, 2 children in the U.S. had died from heatstroke. Since 1995, there have been a total of 12 child vehicular heatstroke deaths in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; one occurring last year on August 16, 2016. Immediate attention can make the difference between life and death for a young child. This important piece of legislation will go a long way to help prevent these senseless tragedies. This legislation was introduced in the 2015-2016 Session in the form of Senate Bill 986, and I intend to re-introduce this legislation with the same bill number. |
Introduced as SB782