I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5897 
To amend title 23, United States Code, to improve access to automated 
external defibrillators at interstate transportation facilities, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 31, 2025 
Mr. VAN DREW (for himself and Ms. GILLEN) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To amend title 23, United States Code, to improve access 
to automated external defibrillators at interstate trans-
portation facilities, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Public Access to 
Defibrillation in Transportation Facilities Act of 2025’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) Sudden cardiac arrest (in this section re-
ferred to as ‘‘SCA’’) is a leading cause of death in 
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the United States, with an estimated 356,000 out- 
of-hospital cardiac arrests occurring annually. 
(2) Automated external defibrillators (in this 
section referred to as ‘‘AEDs’’) are a vital tool in re-
sponding to SCA, as they are capable of delivering 
a life-saving shock to restore the heart’s natural 
rhythm. 
(3) There is a need for quick response times in 
cases of SCA, as every minute that passes without 
defibrillation decreases the likelihood of survival by 
7 to 10 percent. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that Federal agencies, States, and municipalities 
should accelerate efforts to deploy AEDs in locations that 
are frequented by large crowds. 
SEC. 3. EXPANSION OF SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BLOCK 
GRANT PROGRAM TO FUND AED DEPLOY-
MENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 133(b) of title 23, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(25) Projects to purchase and deploy auto-
mated external defibrillators for use at transpor-
tation facilities otherwise eligible for assistance 
under this section. 
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‘‘(26) Projects to develop and implement writ-
ten emergency action plans for responding to med-
ical emergencies at transportation facilities otherwise 
eligible for assistance under this section, including 
the use of automated external defibrillators.’’. 
(b) TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary of 
Transportation, in consultation with the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services and the Director of the Cen-
ters for Disease Control and Prevention, shall provide 
technical assistance to States and local officials in devel-
oping the written emergency action plans referred to in 
section 133(b)(26) of title 23, United States Code (as 
added by subsection (a) of this section). 
SEC. 4. DEPLOYMENT OF AEDS IN INTERSTATE TRANSPOR-
TATION FACILITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Transportation, 
in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services, shall issue— 
(1) recommendations for the deployment of 
automated external defibrillators (in this section re-
ferred to as ‘‘AEDs’’) at interstate transportation 
facilities based on best practices for the placement 
and maintenance of AEDs; and 
(2) guidelines to assist any owner or operator 
of an interstate transportation facility in developing 
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and implementing for such facility a written emer-
gency action plan for responding to medical emer-
gencies, including the use of AEDs. 
(b) TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary of 
Transportation shall provide technical assistance to own-
ers and operators of interstate transportation facilities in 
complying with the recommendations and guidelines 
issued under subsection (a). 
(c) ENFORCEMENT.—In carrying out financial assist-
ance programs of the Department of Transportation, in-
cluding its components, the Secretary of Transportation 
may impose such additional terms and conditions as the 
Secretary determines necessary to provide for adoption of 
the recommendations and guidelines issued under sub-
section (a). 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) INTERSTATE
SYSTEM.—The term ‘‘Inter-
state System’’ has the meaning given such term in 
section 101 of title 23, United States Code. 
(2) INTERSTATE TRANSPORTATION FACILITY.— 
The term ‘‘interstate transportation facility’’ in-
cludes— 
(A) a bus terminal, a ferry terminal, and 
a rail passenger transportation terminal; 
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(B) a highway rest area on the Interstate 
System; 
(C) a vehicle used to provide rail passenger 
transportation, other than a vehicle used exclu-
sively to provide transportation between station 
stops located within 15 minutes of each other 
(as determined using times established in public 
timetables); and 
(D) such other facilities as the Secretary 
of Transportation determines appropriate. 
(3) RAIL PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION.—The 
term ‘‘rail passenger transportation’’ includes trans-
portation provided by a rail fixed guideway public 
transportation system, an intercity passenger rail 
system, or a commuter rail passenger transportation 
system that receives Federal assistance, as identified 
by the Secretary of Transportation. 
SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
This Act, and the amendments made by this Act, 
shall apply beginning on the date that is 180 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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