PRINTER'S NO. 1700
No. 1358 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY CARROLL, SCAVELLO, BELFANTI, BUXTON, CALTAGIRONE,
CAPPELLI, CURRY, DALEY, DeLUCA, FREEMAN, GEORGE, GIBBONS,
GINGRICH, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, HALUSKA, HARHAI, HENNESSEY, HESS,
JOSEPHS, KORTZ, KULA, LEACH, LEVDANSKY, MAHONEY, MARKOSEK,
MOYER, M. O'BRIEN, PALLONE, PASHINSKI, PEIFER, PHILLIPS,
PYLE, READSHAW, REICHLEY, RUBLEY, SANTONI, SCHRODER, SEIP,
SHIMKUS, K. SMITH, SOLOBAY, STABACK, WALKO, YOUNGBLOOD,
YUDICHAK AND RAMALEY, MAY 24, 2007
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, MAY 24, 2007
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 all entities deemed appropriate by the advisory
13 board established under section 6 to purchase the devices.
14 Section 3. Definitions.
15 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 "Secretary." The Secretary of Health of the Commonwealth.
8 "User." An individual who uses an automated external
9 defibrillator.
10 Section 4. Grants.
11 (a) Authorization.--The department, through the advisory
12 board established under section 6, shall award grants to
13 entities that purchase an automated external defibrillator for
14 their own use and that submit an application in a form
15 acceptable to the department.
16 (b) Amount.--The amount of each grant shall not exceed 50%
17 of the purchase price for an automated external defibrillator.
18 Only one grant shall be awarded per entity.
19 Section 5. Agreement between department and grant recipients.
20 An entity that is a grant recipient must enter into an
21 agreement with the department. The agreement must include the
22 following terms and conditions:
23 (1) Expected users shall be trained in cardiopulmonary
24 resuscitation through a course of instruction provided by the
25 American Red Cross or the American Heart Association or
26 through an equivalent course of instruction approved by the
27 department in consultation with a technical committee of the
28 Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council.
29 (2) Expected users shall complete training in the use of
30 an automated external defibrillator through a course of
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1 instruction provided by the American Red Cross or the
2 American Heart Association or through an equivalent course of
3 instruction approved by the department in consultation with a
4 technical committee of the Pennsylvania Emergency Health
5 Services Council.
6 (3) Expected users shall be trained to utilize available
7 means to immediately contact and activate the emergency
8 medical services system.
9 (4) The entity shall maintain and test the automated
10 external defibrillator according to the manufacturer's
11 operational guidelines.
12 (5) The entity shall notify emergency medical services
13 personnel of the presence of an automated external
14 defibrillator and assure that any appropriate data or
15 information is made available to emergency medical services
16 personnel or other health care providers as requested.
17 Section 6. Advisory board.
18 The department shall establish an advisory board to review
19 and approve grant applications under this act. The advisory
20 board shall be comprised of the following:
21 (1) Two officials from the department appointed by the
22 secretary.
23 (2) Two officials from the American Heart Association,
24 appointed by the secretary.
25 (3) A citizen who is not affiliated with the department
26 or the American Heart Association and who has knowledge of
27 automated external defibrillators, appointed by the secretary
28 upon recommendation of the president of the American Heart
29 Association.
30 (4) Two members of the Public Health and Welfare
20070H1358B1700 - 3 -
1 Committee of the Senate, one of whom is appointed by the
2 chairman of that committee and one of whom is appointed by
3 the minority chairman of that committee.
4 (5) Two members of the Health and Human Services
5 Committee of the House of Representatives, one of whom is
6 appointed by the chairman of that committee and one of whom
7 is appointed by the minority chairman of that committee.
8 Section 7. Good Samaritan civil immunity.
9 An expected user who uses an automated external defibrillator
10 purchased from a grant awarded under this act shall be entitled
11 to civil immunity as provided in 42 Pa.C.S. § 8331.2 (relating
12 to Good Samaritan civil immunity for use of automated external
13 defibrillator).
14 Section 8. Appropriation.
15 The sum of $5,000,000, or as much thereof as may be
16 necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Department of Health
17 for the fiscal year July 1, 2007, to June 30, 2008, for the
18 purpose of making grants in accordance with this act.
19 Section 9. Effective date.
20 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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