[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 250 Engrossed in House (EH)]


  2d Session

                            H. CON. RES. 250

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                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

  Recognizing community organization of public access defibrillation 
                               programs.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 250

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                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Whereas coronary heart disease is the single leading cause of death in the 
        United States;
Whereas every two minutes, an individual suffers from cardiac arrest in the 
        United States, and 250,000 Americans die each year from cardiac arrest 
        out of hospital;
Whereas the chance of survival for a victim of cardiac arrest diminishes by ten 
        percent each minute following sudden cardiac arrest;
Whereas 80 percent of cardiac arrests are caused by ventricular fibrillation, 
        for which defibrillation is the only effective treatment;
Whereas 60 percent of all cardiac arrests occur outside the hospital, and the 
        average national survival rate for an out-of-hospital victim of cardiac 
        arrest is only five percent;
Whereas automated external defibrillators (AEDs) make it possible for trained 
        non-medical rescuers to deliver potentially life-saving defibrillation 
        to victims of cardiac arrest;
Whereas public access defibrillation (PAD) programs train non-medical 
        individuals to use AEDs;
Whereas communities that have established and implemented PAD programs that make 
        use of AEDs have achieved average survival rates as high as 50 percent 
        for those individuals who have suffered an out-of-hospital cardiac 
        arrest;
Whereas successful PAD programs ensure that cardiac arrest victims have access 
        to early 911 notification, early cardiopulmonary resuscitation, early 
        defibrillation, and advanced care;
Whereas schools, sports arenas, large hotels, concert halls, high-rise 
        buildings, gated communities, buildings subject to high-security, and 
        similar facilities can benefit greatly from the use of AEDs as part of a 
        PAD program, since it often takes additional and therefore critical time 
        for emergency medical personnel to respond to victims of cardiac arrest 
        in these areas;
Whereas according to the American Heart Association, widespread use of 
        defibrillators could save as many as 50,000 lives nationally each year;
Whereas the Aviation Medical Assistance Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-170; 49 
        U.S.C. 44701 note) authorized AEDs to be carried and used aboard 
        commercial airliners;
Whereas the Cardiac Arrest Survival Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-505; 42 U.S.C. 
        238p-238q) and the Rural Access to Emergency Devices Act (Public Law 
        106-505, 42 U.S.C. 254c note) provided for the placement of AEDs in 
        Federal office buildings and increased access to AEDs in rural 
        communities;
Whereas the Community Access to Emergency Defibrillation Act of 2001 (Public Law 
        107-188; 42 U.S.C. 244-245) authorized the development and 
        implementation of PAD projects;
Whereas the Automatic Defibrillation in Adam's Memory Act (presented to the 
        President for his signature on June 20, 2003) authorizes the use of 
        grant funds to establish an information clearinghouse to provide 
        information to increase public access to defibrillation in schools; and
Whereas Summit County, Ohio serves as an inspiring model for communities across 
        the United States by providing access to AEDs in all of the county's 59 
        middle and high schools, in 47 city buildings and community centers, in 
        17 police departments, and in seven buildings at the University of 
        Akron: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) recognizes the growing number of community activists, 
        organizations, and municipal governments leading the national 
        effort to establish public access defibrillation (PAD) 
        programs; and
            (2) encourages the continued development and implementation 
        of PAD programs in schools, sports arenas, large hotels, 
        concert halls, high-rise buildings, gated communities, 
        buildings subject to high-security, and similar facilities to 
        increase the survival rate for victims of cardiac arrest.

            Passed the House of Representatives October 5, 2004.

            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.