[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 124 (Tuesday, October 5, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H8089-H8091]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION OF PUBLIC ACCESS DEFIBRILLATION 
                                PROGRAMS

  Mr. BARTON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 250) recognizing 
community organization of public access defibrillation programs.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 250

       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

[[Page H8090]]

     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.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Barton) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton).


                             General Leave

  Mr. BARTON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 250.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BARTON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 250 which 
recognizes community organization of public access defibrillation 
programs. The Committee on Energy and Commerce favorably reported this 
resolution by voice vote last week.
  Coronary heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death in 
the United States. It is often the case that lives are either saved or 
lost in those first few critical moments when an individual suffers 
from cardiac arrest. Fortunately, medical technology and life-saving 
equipment are improving every day. New, portable medical devices called 
``automated external defibrillators'' are often used to deliver life-
saving treatment on the scene.
  I can give a personal example of an individual in my district, Mr. 
Gary Terry, who was going through the Austin airport several years ago 
when he suffered a massive heart attack just as he went through 
security checkpoint. Luckily, the city of Austin had just installed 
these defibrillators at the airport, and it has on videotape the 
emergency technicians grabbing the defibrillator, putting it on Mr. 
Terry's chest and literally bringing him back to life. Mr. Terry is 
alive and well today because one of these devices was in the Austin 
international airport in Austin, Texas.
  Over the past 6 years, Congress has enacted several laws to expand 
the use of automatic external defibrillators. H. Con. Res. 250 
recognizes the growing number of community activist organizations and 
municipal governments leading the national effort to establish public 
access defibrillation programs and encourages the continued development 
and implementation of programs in a variety of community venues.
  Madam Speaker, I would urge that all Members adopt this resolution. 
Also, I want to thank my good friend, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. 
Brown), for his sponsorship of this legislation. It shows his 
commitment to a healthier community that he would take the time to be 
the leader on this important legislation.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1530

  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I yield myself 3 minutes.
  Madam Speaker, heart disease kills more Americans than any other 
condition. Nearly a quarter of a million Americans die from cardiac 
arrest every year. The American Heart Association, which supports this 
resolution, estimates that with widespread access to and use of 
defibrillation, 50,000 of those lives could be saved every year.
  We are starting to see real success in ensuring that there are 
defibrillators in major public places in this country. In Summit 
County, in my district, a successful effort led by Dr. Terry Gordon has 
resulted in public defibrillators in all of the county's 59 middle 
schools and high schools, and in 23 other public buildings, coverage 
that probably is unprecedented in the United States.
  As these efforts continue, we are making strides towards public 
access defibrillation in all major public venues, in schools and sports 
arenas, in large hotels, in concert halls, in high-rise buildings, in 
gated communities and high-security companies.
  Currently, 60 percent of heart attacks take place in venues like 
these outside of hospitals, and the survival rate for these attacks is 
only around 5 percent. Public access to defibrillation programs provide 
defibrillators to facilities and train nonmedical personnel in how to 
use a defibrillator. If administered within 3 minutes of a victim 
collapsing from cardiac arrest, a defibrillator can increase the 
patient's survival rate, it is estimated, by 70 percent.
  Knowing these statistics, Madam Speaker, it is clear we can do better 
in preventing death from cardiac arrest. This House can begin by fully 
funding the Community and Rural Defibrillation Program for fiscal year 
2005.
  My colleagues, the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps), the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus), along with the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Deal) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind), and 
especially the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Stearns) have been champions 
of these important programs, and it is critical their funding levels be 
maintained.
  Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton), our 
chairman, and the ranking member, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. 
Dingell) of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, as well as my 
colleague and friend, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) for 
bringing this measure up for consideration before the House today. It 
is an important bill that will save lives. This will matter to the 
lives of family members of so many Americans.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BARTON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Stearns), one of our 
subcommittee chairmen.
  Mr. STEARNS. Madam Speaker, I thank the distinguished chairman for 
yielding me this time, and I rise in support and as a cosponsor of H. 
Con. Res. 250, recognizing public access defibrillation, or PAD, 
programs.
  My colleagues, years ago I had the opportunity and honor to work with 
the American Heart Association and we developed legislation addressing 
sudden cardiac arrest along with the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. 
Capps). This cooperation led to the Cardiac Arrest Survival Act. After 
years of work, the provisions from the Cardiac Arrest Survival Act were 
combined with other health care provisions in H.R. 2498, and finally 
enacted in 2000 as the Public Health Improvement Act.
  This law directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to simply

[[Page H8091]]

develop guidelines for the placement of defibrillators in public 
buildings. It also directs Health and Human Services to consult with 
and counsel other Federal agencies where such devices are to be used.
  Now, a number of agencies have initiated the program, including 
Labor, HHS, Commerce, GSA, and IRS. These public access defibrillation 
programs, PADs, vary with occupancy of the building, building size and 
other characteristics.
  Since last winter, the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps) and I 
have been working with the Architect of the Capitol and the Office of 
the Attending Physician to consider the implementation of a PAD program 
throughout the United States Capitol complex to help save lives for the 
people that visit our Capitol in and around this area. The hard-working 
staff, employees of the U.S. Congress, and the many visitors should be 
afforded the same protection as citizens employed by or visiting other 
Federal facilities implementing PAD programs.
  We are finding that the biggest area of discussion from building 
supervisors at both the executive branch and here in the Capitol is the 
ongoing maintenance of the AEDs and the program once they are in place. 
Now, thanks to our persistence, I am pleased to share that each 
Chamber's Legislative Branch Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2005 
has included $1 million in funding for installation and annual 
maintenance of hundreds and hundreds of defibrillators around the 
Capitol complex.
  This is good, good news, and I am very pleased to cosponsor the 
legislation of my colleague, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown), and I 
commend him for his active participation on this.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for 
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BARTON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume to just ask that we strongly support the Sherrod Brown bill.
  Mr. BARTON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Miller of Michigan). The question is on 
the motion offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton) that the 
House suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. 
Res. 250.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was 
agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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