[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 8 (Wednesday, February 6, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S436-S437]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        COMMUNITY ACCESS TO EMERGENCY DEFIBRILLATION ACT OF 2001

  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent the Senate now proceed to the 
consideration of Calendar No. 215, S. 1275.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1275) to amend the Public Health Service Act to 
     provide grants for public access defibrillation demonstration 
     projects, and so forth, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill 
which had been reported from the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
and Pensions, with an amendment on page 10, line 23, to strike (''.).
  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent the committee amendment be agreed 
to, the bill as amended be read a third time, passed, the motion to 
reconsider be laid on the table, and any statements relating thereto be 
printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill was read the third time and passed; as follows:

                                S. 1275

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Community Access to 
     Emergency Defibrillation Act of 2001''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) Over 220,000 Americans die each year from cardiac 
     arrest. Every 2 minutes, an individual goes into cardiac 
     arrest in the United States.
       (2) The chance of successfully returning to a normal heart 
     rhythm diminishes by 10 percent each minute following sudden 
     cardiac arrest.
       (3) Eighty percent of cardiac arrests are caused by 
     ventricular fibrillation, for which defibrillation is the 
     only effective treatment.
       (4) Sixty percent of all cardiac arrests occur outside the 
     hospital. The average national survival rate for out-of-
     hospital cardiac arrest is only 5 percent.
       (5) Communities that have established and implemented 
     public access defibrillation programs have achieved average 
     survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest as high as 
     50 percent.
       (6) According to the American Heart Association, wide use 
     of defibrillators could save as many as 50,000 lives 
     nationally each year.
       (7) Successful public access defibrillation programs ensure 
     that cardiac arrest victims have access to early 911 
     notification, early cardiopulmonary resuscitation, early 
     defibrillation, and early advanced care.

     SEC. 3. PUBLIC ACCESS DEFIBRILLATION PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS.

       Part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 
     U.S.C. 243 et seq.), as amended by Public Law 106-310, is 
     amended by adding after section 311 the following:

     ``SEC. 312. PUBLIC ACCESS DEFIBRILLATION PROGRAMS.

       ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall award grants to 
     States, political subdivisions of States, Indian tribes, and 
     tribal organizations to develop and implement public access 
     defibrillation programs--
       ``(1) by training and equipping local emergency medical 
     services personnel, including firefighters, police officers, 
     paramedics, emergency medical technicians, and other first 
     responders, to administer immediate care, including 
     cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external 
     defibrillation, to cardiac arrest victims;
       ``(2) by purchasing automated external defibrillators, 
     placing the defibrillators in public places where cardiac 
     arrests are likely to occur, and training personnel in such 
     places to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation and 
     automated external defibrillation to cardiac arrest victims;
       ``(3) by setting procedures for proper maintenance and 
     testing of such devices, according to the guidelines of the 
     manufacturers of the devices;
       ``(4) by providing training to members of the public in 
     cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external 
     defibrillation;
       ``(5) by integrating the emergency medical services system 
     with the public access defibrillation programs so that 
     emergency medical services personnel, including dispatchers, 
     are informed about the location of automated external 
     defibrillators in their community; and
       ``(6) by encouraging private companies, including small 
     businesses, to purchase automated external defibrillators and 
     provide training for their employees to administer 
     cardiopulmonary resuscitation and external automated 
     defibrillation to cardiac arrest victims in their community.
       ``(b) Preference.--In awarding grants under subsection (a), 
     the Secretary shall give a preference to a State, political 
     subdivision of a State, Indian tribe, or tribal organization 
     that--
       ``(1) has a particularly low local survival rate for 
     cardiac arrests, or a particularly low local response rate 
     for cardiac arrest victims; or
       ``(2) demonstrates in its application the greatest 
     commitment to establishing and maintaining a public access 
     defibrillation program.
       ``(c) Use of Funds.--A State, political subdivision of a 
     State, Indian tribe, or tribal organization that receives a 
     grant under subsection (a) may use funds received through 
     such grant to--
       ``(1) purchase automated external defibrillators that have 
     been approved, or cleared for marketing, by the Food and Drug 
     Administration;
       ``(2) provide automated external defibrillation and basic 
     life support training in automated external defibrillator 
     usage through nationally recognized courses;
       ``(3) provide information to community members about the 
     public access defibrillation program to be funded with the 
     grant;
       ``(4) provide information to the local emergency medical 
     services system regarding the placement of automated external 
     defibrillators in public places;
       ``(5) produce such materials as may be necessary to 
     encourage private companies, including small businesses, to 
     purchase automated external defibrillators; and
       ``(6) carry out other activities that the Secretary 
     determines are necessary or useful to pursue the purposes of 
     this section.
       ``(d) Application.--
       ``(1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
     subsection (a), a State, political subdivision of a State, 
     Indian tribe, or tribal organization shall prepare and submit 
     an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, 
     and containing such information as the Secretary may 
     reasonably require.
       ``(2) Contents.--An application submitted under paragraph 
     (1) shall--
       ``(A) describe the comprehensive public access 
     defibrillation program to be funded with the grant and 
     demonstrate how such program would make automated external 
     defibrillation accessible and available to cardiac arrest 
     victims in the community;
       ``(B) contain procedures for implementing appropriate 
     nationally recognized training

[[Page S437]]

     courses in performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the 
     use of automated external defibrillators;
       ``(C) contain procedures for ensuring direct involvement of 
     a licensed medical professional and coordination with the 
     local emergency medical services system in the oversight of 
     training and notification of incidents of the use of the 
     automated external defibrillators;
       ``(D) contain procedures for proper maintenance and testing 
     of the automated external defibrillators, according to the 
     labeling of the manufacturer;
       ``(E) contain procedures for ensuring notification of local 
     emergency medical services system personnel, including 
     dispatchers, of the location and type of devices used in the 
     public access defibrillation program; and
       ``(F) provide for the collection of data regarding the 
     effectiveness of the public access defibrillation program to 
     be funded with the grant in affecting the out-of-hospital 
     cardiac arrest survival rate.
       ``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for 
     each of fiscal years 2002 through 2007. Not more than 10 
     percent of amounts received under a grant awarded under this 
     section may be used for administrative expenses.

     ``SEC. 313. PUBLIC ACCESS DEFIBRILLATION DEMONSTRATION 
                   PROJECTS.

       ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall award grants to 
     political subdivisions of States, Indian tribes, and tribal 
     organizations to develop and implement innovative, 
     comprehensive, community-based public access defibrillation 
     demonstration projects that--
       ``(1) provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated 
     external defibrillation to cardiac arrest victims in unique 
     settings;
       ``(2) provide training to community members in 
     cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external 
     defibrillation; and
       ``(3) maximize community access to automated external 
     defibrillators.
       ``(b) Use of Funds.--A recipient of a grant under 
     subsection (a) shall use the funds provided through the grant 
     to--
       ``(1) purchase automated external defibrillators that have 
     been approved, or cleared for marketing, by the Food and Drug 
     Administration;
       ``(2) provide basic life training in automated external 
     defibrillator usage through nationally recognized courses;
       ``(3) provide information to community members about the 
     public access defibrillation demonstration project to be 
     funded with the grant;
       ``(4) provide information to the local emergency medical 
     services system regarding the placement of automated external 
     defibrillators in the unique settings; and
       ``(5) carry out other activities that the Secretary 
     determines are necessary or useful to pursue the purposes of 
     this section.
       ``(c) Application.--
       ``(1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
     subsection (a), a political subdivision of a State, Indian 
     tribe, or tribal organization shall prepare and submit an 
     application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, 
     and containing such information as the Secretary may 
     reasonably require.
       ``(2) Contents.--An application submitted under paragraph 
     (1) may--
       ``(A) describe the innovative, comprehensive, community-
     based public access defibrillation demonstration project to 
     be funded with the grant;
       ``(B) explain how such public access defibrillation 
     demonstration project represents innovation in providing 
     public access to automated external defibrillation; and
       ``(C) provide for the collection of data regarding the 
     effectiveness of the demonstration project to be funded with 
     the grant in--
       ``(i) providing emergency cardiopulmonary resuscitation and 
     automated external defibrillation to cardiac arrest victims 
     in the setting served by the demonstration project; and
       ``(ii) affecting the cardiac arrest survival rate in the 
     setting served by the demonstration project.
       ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for 
     each of fiscal years 2002 through 2007. Not more than 10 
     percent of amounts received under a grant awarded under this 
     section may be used for administrative expenses.

     ``SEC. 313A. GRANTS FOR ACCESS TO DEFIBRILLATION.

       ``(a) Program Authorized.--The Secretary of Health and 
     Human Services shall award a grant to a health care 
     organization to establish a national information 
     clearinghouse that provides information to increase public 
     access to defibrillation in schools.
       ``(b) Duties.--The health care organization that receives a 
     grant under this section shall promote public access to 
     defibrillation in schools by--
       ``(1) providing timely information to entities regarding 
     public access defibrillation program implementation and 
     development;
       ``(2) developing and providing comprehensive program 
     materials to establish a public access defibrillation program 
     in schools;
       ``(3) providing support to CPR and AED training programs;
       ``(4) fostering new and existing community partnerships 
     with and among public and private organizations (such as 
     local educational agencies, nonprofit organizations, public 
     health organizations, emergency medical service providers, 
     fire and police departments, and parent-teacher associations) 
     to promote public access to defibrillation in schools;
       ``(5) establishing a data base to gather information in a 
     central location regarding sudden cardiac arrest in the 
     pediatric population and identifying or conducting further 
     research into the problem; and
       ``(6) providing assistance to communities that wish to 
     develop screening programs for at risk youth.
       ``(c) Application.--A health care organization desiring a 
     grant under this section shall submit an application to the 
     Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by 
     such information as the Secretary may reasonably require.
       ``(d) Report.--Not later than 5 years after the date on 
     which the health care organization receives a grant under 
     this section, such organization shall submit to the Secretary 
     of Health and Human Services a report that describes 
     activities carried out with funds received under this 
     section. Not later than 3 months after the date on which such 
     report is received by the Secretary of Health and Human 
     Services, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to the 
     appropriate committees of Congress an evaluation that reviews 
     such report and evaluates the success of such clearinghouse.
       ``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--From funds 
     authorized to be appropriated for fiscal years 2002 through 
     2006 for activities and programs under the Department of 
     Health and Human Services, $800,000 of such funds may be 
     appropriated to carry out the programs described in this 
     section for each of the fiscal years 2002 through 2006.''.

                          ____________________