PRINTER'S NO. 329
No. 308 Session of 2005
INTRODUCED BY BEBKO-JONES, WASHINGTON, TIGUE, MARKOSEK, LEDERER,
LEACH, HARHAI, GOODMAN, FREEMAN, BELFANTI AND CALTAGIRONE,
FEBRUARY 8, 2005
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES,
FEBRUARY 8, 2005
AN ACT
1 Authorizing the Department of Health to award grants for the
2 purchase of automated external defibrillators; and making an
3 appropriation.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Short title.
7 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Automated
8 External Defibrillator Grant Act.
9 Section 2. Purpose.
10 The purpose of this act is to promote greater availability
11 and use of automated external defibrillators in this
12 Commonwealth by encouraging State veterans' homes, senior
13 citizen centers and certain adult day-care centers, child-care
14 centers, group homes and family child-care homes to purchase the
15 devices.
16 Section 3. Definitions.
17 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
1 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
2 context clearly indicates otherwise:
3 "Automated external defibrillator." A portable device which
4 uses electric shock to restore a stable heart rhythm to an
5 individual in cardiac arrest.
6 "Department." The Department of Health of the Commonwealth.
7 "Entity." Any of the following:
8 (1) State veterans' home.
9 (2) Senior citizen center.
10 (3) Adult day-care center licensed by the Department of
11 Aging.
12 (4) Child-care center, group home and family child-care
13 home licensed by the Department of Public Welfare.
14 "Secretary." The Secretary of Health of the Commonwealth.
15 "User." An individual who uses an automated external
16 defibrillator.
17 Section 4. Grants.
18 (a) Authorization.--The department, through the advisory
19 board established under section 6 (relating to advisory board),
20 shall award grants to entities that purchase an automated
21 external defibrillator for their own use and that submit an
22 application in a form acceptable to the department.
23 (b) Amount.--The amount of each grant shall not exceed 50%
24 of the purchase price for an automated external defibrillator.
25 Only one grant shall be awarded per entity.
26 Section 5. Agreement between department and grant recipients.
27 An entity that is a grant recipient must enter into an
28 agreement with the department. The agreement must include the
29 following terms and conditions:
30 (1) Expected users shall be trained in cardiopulmonary
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1 resuscitation through a course of instruction provided by the
2 American Red Cross or the American Heart Association or
3 through an equivalent course of instruction approved by the
4 department in consultation with a technical committee of the
5 Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council.
6 (2) Expected users shall complete training in the use of
7 an automated external defibrillator through a course of
8 instruction provided by the American Red Cross or the
9 American Heart Association or through an equivalent course of
10 instruction approved by the department in consultation with a
11 technical committee of the Pennsylvania Emergency Health
12 Services Council.
13 (3) Expected users shall be trained to utilize available
14 means to immediately contact and activate the emergency
15 medical services system.
16 (4) The entity shall maintain and test the automated
17 external defibrillator according to the manufacturer's
18 operational guidelines.
19 (5) The entity shall notify emergency medical services
20 personnel of the presence of an automated external
21 defibrillator and assure that any appropriate data or
22 information is made available to emergency medical services
23 personnel or other health care providers as requested.
24 Section 6. Advisory board.
25 The department shall establish an advisory board to review
26 and approve grant applications under this act. The advisory
27 board shall be comprised of the following:
28 (1) Two officials from the department appointed by the
29 secretary.
30 (2) Two officials from the American Heart Association,
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1 appointed by the secretary.
2 (3) A citizen who is not affiliated with the department
3 or the American Heart Association and who has knowledge of
4 automated external defibrillators, appointed by the secretary
5 upon recommendation of the president of the American Heart
6 Association.
7 (4) Two members of the Public Health and Welfare
8 Committee of the Senate, one of whom is appointed by the
9 chairman of that committee and one of whom is appointed by
10 the minority chairman of that committee.
11 (5) Two members of the Health and Human Services
12 Committee of the House of Representatives, one of whom is
13 appointed by the chairman of that committee and one of whom
14 is appointed by the minority chairman of that committee.
15 Section 7. Good Samaritan civil immunity.
16 An expected user who uses an automated external defibrillator
17 purchased from a grant awarded under this act shall be entitled
18 to civil immunity as provided in 42 Pa.C.S. § 8331.2 (relating
19 to Good Samaritan civil immunity for use of automated external
20 defibrillator).
21 Section 8. Appropriation.
22 The sum of $5,000,000, or as much thereof as may be
23 necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Department of Health
24 for the fiscal year July 1, 2005, to June 30, 2006, for the
25 purpose of making grants in accordance with this act.
26 Section 9. Effective date.
27 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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