I
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4953
To provide funds for the purchase of automatic external defibrillators and
the training of individuals in advanced cardiac life support.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 25, 2000
Mr. KIND (for himself, Mr. DEAL of Georgia, Mr. HOLDEN, Mr. BAKER, Mr.
GOODE, Mr. FROST, Mr. DELAHUNT, Mr. BAIRD, Mr. HALL of Texas,
Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. BOSWELL, Mr. TURNER, Mr. POM-
EROY, Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon, Mr. MINGE, Mr. ETHERIDGE, Mr. UDALL
of Colorado, Mr. UDALL of New Mexico, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mrs. CAPPS,
Ms. STABENOW, Mr. SNYDER, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. SAWYER, Mr. VIS-
CLOSKY, Mr. JOHN, Mr. SANDLIN, Mr. BERRY, and Mr. STUPAK) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Com-
merce
A BILL
To provide funds for the purchase of automatic external
defibrillators and the training of individuals in advanced
cardiac life support.
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 ‘‘Rural Access to Emer-
gency Devices Act’’ or the ‘‘Rural AED Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Heart disease is the leading cause of death
in the United States.
(2) The American Heart Association estimates
that 250,000 Americans die from sudden cardiac ar-
rest each year.
(3) A cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival
drops 10 percent for every minute that passes before
his or her heart is returned to normal rhythm.
(4) Because most cardiac arrest victims are ini-
tially in ventricular fibrillation, and the only treat-
ment for ventricular fibrillation is defibrillation,
prompt access to defibrillation to return the heart to
normal rhythm is essential.
(5) Lifesaving technology, the automated exter-
nal defibrillator, has been developed to allow trained
lay rescuers to respond to cardiac arrest by using
this simple device to shock the heart into normal
rhythm.
(6) Those people who are likely to be first on
the scene of a cardiac arrest situation in many com-
munities, particularly smaller and rural commu-
nities, lack sufficient numbers of automated external
defibrillators to respond to cardiac arrest in a timely
manner.
(7) The American Heart Association estimates
that more than 50,000 deaths could be prevented
each year if defibrillators were more widely available
to designated responders.
(8) Legislation should be enacted to encourage
greater 
public 
access 
to 
automated 
external
defibrillators in communities across the United
States.
SEC. 3. GRANTS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and
Human Services, acting through the Rural Health Out-
reach Office of the Health Resources and Services Admin-
istration, shall award grants to community partnerships
that meet the requirements of subsection (b) to enable
such partnerships to purchase equipment and provide
training as provided for in subsection (c).
(b) COMMUNITY
PARTNERSHIPS.—A community
partnership meets the requirements of this subsection if
such partnership—
(1) is composed of local emergency response en-
tities such as community training facilities, local
emergency responders, fire and rescue departments,
police, community hospitals, and local non-profit en-
tities and for-profit entities concerned about cardiac
arrest survival rates;
(2) evaluates the local community emergency
response times to assess whether they meet the
standards established by national public health orga-
nizations such as the American Heart Association
and the American Red Cross; and
(3) submits to the Secretary of Health and
Human Services an application at such time, in such
manner, and containing such information as the Sec-
retary may require.
(c) USE
OF FUNDS.—Amounts provided under a
grant under this section shall be used—
(1) to purchase automatic external defibrillators
that have been approved, or cleared for marketing,
by the Food and Drug Administration; and
(2) to provide defibrillator and basic life sup-
port training in automated external defibrillator
usage through the American Heart Association, the
American Red Cross, or other nationally recognized
training courses.
(d) REPORT.—Not later than 4 years after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and
Human Services shall prepare and submit to the appro-
priate committees of Congress a report containing data
relating 
to 
whether 
the 
increased 
availability 
of
defibrillators has affected survival rates in the commu-
nities in which grantees under this section operated. The
procedures under which the Secretary obtains data and
prepares the report under this subsection shall not impose
an undue burden on program participants under this sec-
tion.
(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is
authorized to be appropriated $25,000,000 for fiscal years
2001 through 2003 to carry out this section.
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