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[Public Law 106-505, Title IV - Cardiac Arrest
Survival, Subtitle B - Rural Access to Emergency Devices, section
413(a) of the Public Health Improvement Act (H.R. 2498)]
SEC.411.SHORT TITLE.
This subtitle may be cited as the ''Rural
Access to Emergency Devices Act '' or the ''Rural AED Act.''
SEC.412.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 arrest 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 initially in ventricular
fibrillation, and the only treatment for ventricular fibrillation
is defibrillation, prompt access to defibrillation to return the
heart to normal rhythm is essential.
(5) Lifesaving technology, the automated external 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 communities, particularly smaller and rural
communities, 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.413.GRANTS.
(a) IN GENERAL. - The Secretary of Health and Human Services,
acting through the Rural Health Outreach Office of the Health Resources
and Services Administration, 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 entities such as community
training facilities, local emergency responders, fire and rescue
departments, police, community hospitals, and local non-profit entities
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
organizations 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 Secretary may require.
(c) USE OF FUNDS. - Amounts provided
under a grant under this section shall be used -
(1) to purchase automated external defibrillators that have been
approved, or cleared for marketing, by the Food and Drug Administration;
and
(2) to provide defibrillator and basic life support 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 the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health
and Human Services shall prepare and submit to the appropriate committees
of Congress a report containing data relating to whether the increased
availability of defibrillators has affected survival rates in the
communities 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 section.
(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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