Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Access to AEDs Act”.
Access to AEDs Act
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to eligible entities to develop and implement a comprehensive program to promote student access to defibrillation in public elementary schools and secondary schools.
Sec. 2 Findings
Congress finds as follows:
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.
Sudden cardiac arrest (referred to in this section as “SCA”) is a life-threatening emergency that is caused by a malfunction in the heart’s electrical system or structure, which is caused by an abnormality from birth or one that develops over time.
Studies show that 1 in 300 youth has an undetected heart condition that puts them at risk.
SCA is the leading cause of death for student athletes.
Sports-related SCA account for 39 percent of SCAs among children 18 years old or younger.
In 2018, there were nearly 394,000 sudden cardiac arrests that occurred in the United States, with 9 out of 10 being fatal. Only 1 in 10 victims survive a sudden cardiac arrest.
An estimated 7,000 to 23,000 young people are stricken by SCA annually.
The American Heart Association estimates that 5 in 10 victims of SCA could survive if bystanders gave CPR and used an AED immediately.
The chain of survival includes prompt notification of emergency services and early CPR, defibrillation, and advanced cardiac life support.
Health education should include basic emergency lifesaving skills. Incorporating these lifesaving training programs into the health curriculum of public elementary and secondary schools will give children and youth these skills.
Sec. 3 Promoting student access to defibrillation
In general— The Secretary shall award grants to eligible entities to develop and implement a comprehensive program to promote student access to defibrillation in public elementary schools and secondary schools.
Use of funds— An eligible entity receiving a grant under subsection (a) may use funds received through such grant to carry out any of the following activities:
Developing and providing comprehensive materials to establish AED and CPR programs in public elementary schools and secondary schools.
Providing support for CPR and AED training programs in such schools for students, staff, and related sports volunteers.
Providing support for developing a cardiac emergency response plan within such schools.
Purchasing AEDs that have been approved under section 515 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 360e), cleared under section 510(k) of such Act (21 U.S.C. 360(k)), or authorized under section 513(f)(2) of such Act (21 U.S.C. 360c(f)(2)).
Purchasing necessary AED batteries and performing necessary AED maintenance (such as by replacing AED pads) in accordance with the labeling of the AED involved.
Replacing old and outdated AED and CPR equipment, machinery, and educational materials.
Fostering new and existing community partnerships with and among local educational agencies, nonprofit organizations, public health organizations, emergency medical service providers, fire and police departments, and parent-teacher associations to promote the importance of defibrillation in such schools.
Aiding school athletic departments to screen student athletes for risk of sudden cardiac arrest, consistent with guidelines of the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology.
Further developing strategies to improve access to AEDs in such schools.
Eligibility; application— To be eligible for a grant under subsection (a), an entity shall—
be a local educational agency (including a public charter school operating as a local educational agency under State law), in consultation with a qualified health care entity; and
submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may reasonably require.
Clearinghouse— Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a clearinghouse database—
to collect and make available information, including through voluntary reporting by local educational agencies, State educational agencies, and manufacturers, relating to student access to defibrillation in public elementary schools and secondary schools, including with respect to the costs of providing AEDs and CPR training; and
to gather information in a central location to facilitate research regarding sudden cardiac arrest in the pediatric population.
Reports—
By grantee— Not later than 4 years after receipt of a grant under this section, the recipient of the grant shall submit to the Secretary a report that describes the activities carried out with funds received through the grant.
By Secretary— Not later than one year after receiving the reports required by paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives a consolidated evaluation of the activities carried out pursuant to grants under this section.
Definitions— In this section—
the term “AED” means an automated external defibrillator;
the term “CPR” means cardiopulmonary resuscitation;
the terms “elementary school”, “local educational agency”, and “secondary school” have the meanings given to such terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801);
the term “qualified health care entity” means a health care entity that—
is—
a public entity; or
an organization that is described in section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code;
demonstrates an ability to develop, train, and implement a comprehensive program to promote student access to defibrillation in elementary and secondary schools; and
is qualified in providing technical assistance in AED and CPR training; and
the term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Authorization of appropriations— To carry out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $25,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2024 through 2028.