I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4989 
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award a grant 
to a health care organization to promote student access to defibrillation 
in elementary and secondary schools, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 5, 2019 
Mr. LAWSON of Florida (for himself and Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy 
and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Education and 
Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
to award a grant to a health care organization to pro-
mote student access to defibrillation in elementary and 
secondary schools, 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 ‘‘Access to AEDs Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE. 
The Congress makes the following findings: 
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(1) Heart disease is the leading cause of death 
in the United States. 
(2) Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause 
of death for student athletes. 
(3) In 2017, there were approximately 356,000 
sudden cardiac arrests that occurred in the United 
States, with 9 out of 10 being fatal (320,400). Only 
1 in 10 victims survive a sudden cardiac arrest 
(35,600). 
(4) The American Heart Association estimates 
that 5 in 10 victims (178,000) could survive if by-
standers gave CPR and used AEDs immediately, an 
additional 142,400 victims. 
(5) The chain of survival includes prompt noti-
fication of emergency services and early CPR, 
defibrillation, and advanced cardiac life support. 
(6) Health education should include basic emer-
gency lifesaving skills. Incorporating these lifesaving 
training programs into the health curriculum of ele-
mentary and secondary schools will give school chil-
dren these skills. 
SEC. 
3. 
PROMOTING 
STUDENT 
ACCESS 
TO 
DEFIBRILLATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services shall award a grant to a health care orga-
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nization to promote student access to defibrillation in ele-
mentary schools and secondary schools by— 
(1) developing and providing comprehensive ma-
terials to establish defibrillation programs in such 
schools; 
(2) providing support for CPR and AED train-
ing programs in such schools; 
(3) fostering new and existing community part-
nerships with and among public and private organi-
zations (such as local educational agencies, nonprofit 
organizations, public health organizations, emer-
gency medical service providers, fire and police de-
partments, and parent-teacher associations) to pro-
mote the importance of defibrillation in such schools; 
(4) establishing a clearinghouse database to 
gather information in a central location regarding 
sudden cardiac arrest in the pediatric population 
and thereby facilitating the identification and con-
duct of further research; and 
(5) providing assistance to secondary school 
athletic departments seeking to develop programs to 
screen student athletes for risk of sudden cardiac ar-
rest. 
(b) APPLICATION.—A health care organization seek-
ing the grant under this section shall submit an applica-
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tion to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the Secretary may reason-
ably require. 
(c) REPORTS.— 
(1) BY GRANTEE.—Not later than 4 years after 
receipt of the grant under this section, the health 
care organization receiving the grant shall submit to 
the Secretary a report that describes the activities 
carried out with funds received through the grant. 
(2) BY SECRETARY.—Not later than 3 months 
after receipt of the report required by paragraph 
(1), the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate 
committees of Congress an evaluation of the success 
of the activities carried out pursuant to the grant 
under this section. 
(d) DEFINITION.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘AED’’ means an automated ex-
ternal defibrillator. 
(2) The term ‘‘CPR’’ means cardiopulmonary 
resuscitation. 
(3) The terms ‘‘elementary school’’ and ‘‘sec-
ondary school’’ have the meanings given to such 
terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 
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(4) The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 
of Health and Human Services. 
(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 
out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated 
$800,000 for the period of fiscal years 2020 through 
2024. 
Æ 
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