What This Bill Does
This bill allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to give grants (money with no requirement to repay) to schools and qualified health partners. These grants help public elementary and secondary schools develop programs to provide students with access to AEDs (automated external defibrillators, which are machines that restart hearts). The bill also requires the Secretary to create a database to collect information about student access to these lifesaving devices.
Who It Affects
Local educational agencies (public school districts, including charter schools), qualified health care entities (hospitals, nonprofits, and public health organizations), students and staff in public elementary and secondary schools, sports volunteers at schools, nonprofit organizations, public health organizations, emergency medical service providers, fire and police departments, and parent-teacher associations.
Key Provisions
* Schools that receive grants can use the money to create AED and CPR training programs, purchase approved AED machines, buy batteries and replacement pads, and train students and staff (Sec. 3(b)).
* Schools can also use grant funds to develop emergency response plans for heart emergencies, screen student athletes for heart risk using American Heart Association guidelines, and build partnerships with hospitals and emergency services (Sec. 3(b)).
* To receive a grant, a school must be a local educational agency working with a qualified health care entity and submit an application to the Secretary (Sec. 3(c)).
* The Secretary must create a database within one year to collect information about student access to AEDs, including costs, through voluntary reporting by schools and manufacturers (Sec. 3(d)).
* Schools must report to the Secretary within four years on how they used the grant money (Sec. 3(e)).
What Changes
If this bill becomes law, public schools can apply for federal grants to buy AED machines and train students and staff to use them. Schools will have federal support to create emergency response plans for students having heart emergencies. A national database will be created to track how many schools have AEDs and how much these programs cost.
Important Definitions
* AED means an automated external defibrillator (a machine that uses electrical shock to restart a heart)
* CPR means cardiopulmonary resuscitation (chest compressions and rescue breathing to keep blood flowing when someone's heart stops)
* Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) means a life-threatening emergency caused by a malfunction in the heart's electrical system or structure
* Qualified health care entity means a public organization or nonprofit organization that can develop and teach AED and CPR programs
Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
II
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 1024
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.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
MARCH 29, 2023
Mr. BOOKER (for himself, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, and Mr. SCHUMER) introduced
the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee
on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services
to award grants to eligible entities to develop and imple-
ment a comprehensive program to promote student ac-
cess to defibrillation in public elementary schools and
secondary schools.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Access to AEDs Act’’.
4
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
5
Congress finds as follows:
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•S 1024 IS
(1) Heart disease is the leading cause of death
1
in the United States.
2
(2) Sudden cardiac arrest (referred to in this
3
section as ‘‘SCA’’) is a life-threatening emergency
4
that is caused by a malfunction in the heart’s elec-
5
trical system or structure, which is caused by an ab-
6
normality from birth or one that develops over time.
7
(3) Studies show that 1 in 300 youth has an
8
undetected heart condition that puts them at risk.
9
(4) SCA is the leading cause of death for stu-
10
dent athletes.
11
(5) Sports-related SCA account for 39 percent
12
of SCAs among children 18 years old or younger.
13
(6) In 2018, there were nearly 394,000 sudden
14
cardiac arrests that occurred in the United States,
15
with 9 out of 10 being fatal. Only 1 in 10 victims
16
survive a sudden cardiac arrest.
17
(7) An estimated 7,000 to 23,000 young people
18
are stricken by SCA annually.
19
(8) The American Heart Association estimates
20
that 5 in 10 victims of SCA could survive if bystand-
21
ers gave CPR and used an AED immediately.
22
(9) The chain of survival includes prompt noti-
23
fication of emergency services and early CPR,
24
defibrillation, and advanced cardiac life support.
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•S 1024 IS
(10) Health education should include basic
1
emergency lifesaving skills. Incorporating these life-
2
saving training programs into the health curriculum
3
of public elementary and secondary schools will give
4
children and youth these skills.
5
SEC.
3.
PROMOTING
STUDENT
ACCESS
TO
6
DEFIBRILLATION.
7
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award grants
8
to eligible entities to develop and implement a comprehen-
9
sive program to promote student access to defibrillation
10
in public elementary schools and secondary schools.
11
(b) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity receiving a
12
grant under subsection (a) may use funds received
13
through such grant to carry out any of the following activi-
14
ties:
15
(1) Developing and providing comprehensive
16
materials to establish AED and CPR programs in
17
public elementary schools and secondary schools.
18
(2) Providing support for CPR and AED train-
19
ing programs in such schools for students, staff, and
20
related sports volunteers.
21
(3) Providing support for developing a cardiac
22
emergency response plan within such schools.
23
(4) Purchasing AEDs that have been approved
24
under section 515 of the Federal Food, Drug, and
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•S 1024 IS
Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 360e), cleared under sec-
1
tion 510(k) of such Act (21 U.S.C. 360(k)), or au-
2
thorized under section 513(f)(2) of such Act (21
3
U.S.C. 360c(f)(2)).
4
(5) Purchasing necessary AED batteries and
5
performing necessary AED maintenance (such as by
6
replacing AED pads) in accordance with the labeling
7
of the AED involved.
8
(6) Replacing old and outdated AED and CPR
9
equipment, machinery, and educational materials.
10
(7) Fostering new and existing community part-
11
nerships with and among local educational agencies,
12
nonprofit organizations, public health organizations,
13
emergency medical service providers, fire and police
14
departments, and parent-teacher associations to pro-
15
mote the importance of defibrillation in such schools.
16
(8) Aiding school athletic departments to screen
17
student athletes for risk of sudden cardiac arrest,
18
consistent with guidelines of the American Heart As-
19
sociation and the American College of Cardiology.
20
(9) Further developing strategies to improve ac-
21
cess to AEDs in such schools.
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(c) ELIGIBILITY; APPLICATION.—To be eligible for a
23
grant under subsection (a), an entity shall—
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•S 1024 IS
(1) be a local educational agency (including a
1
public charter school operating as a local educational
2
agency under State law), in consultation with a
3
qualified health care entity; and
4
(2) submit to the Secretary an application at
5
such time, in such manner, and containing such in-
6
formation as the Secretary may reasonably require.
7
(d) CLEARINGHOUSE.—Not later than 1 year after
8
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall es-
9
tablish a clearinghouse database—
10
(1) to collect and make available information,
11
including through voluntary reporting by local edu-
12
cational agencies, State educational agencies, and
13
manufacturers,
relating
to
student
access
to
14
defibrillation in public elementary schools and sec-
15
ondary schools, including with respect to the costs of
16
providing AEDs and CPR training; and
17
(2) to gather information in a central location
18
to facilitate research regarding sudden cardiac arrest
19
in the pediatric population.
20
(e) REPORTS.—
21
(1) BY GRANTEE.—Not later than 4 years after
22
receipt of a grant under this section, the recipient of
23
the grant shall submit to the Secretary a report that
24
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•S 1024 IS
describes the activities carried out with funds re-
1
ceived through the grant.
2
(2) BY SECRETARY.—Not later than one year
3
after receiving the reports required by paragraph
4
(1), the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on
5
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Sen-
6
ate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce
7
and the Committee on Education and the Workforce
8
of the House of Representatives a consolidated eval-
9
uation of the activities carried out pursuant to
10
grants under this section.
11
(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section—
12
(1) the term ‘‘AED’’ means an automated ex-
13
ternal defibrillator;
14
(2) the term ‘‘CPR’’ means cardiopulmonary
15
resuscitation;
16
(3) the terms ‘‘elementary school’’, ‘‘local edu-
17
cational agency’’, and ‘‘secondary school’’ have the
18
meanings given to such terms in section 8101 of the
19
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
20
(20 U.S.C. 7801);
21
(4) the term ‘‘qualified health care entity’’
22
means a health care entity that—
23
(A) is—
24
(i) a public entity; or
25
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•S 1024 IS
(ii) an organization that is described
1
in section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue
2
Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation
3
under section 501(a) of such Code;
4
(B) demonstrates an ability to develop,
5
train, and implement a comprehensive program
6
to promote student access to defibrillation in el-
7
ementary and secondary schools; and
8
(C) is qualified in providing technical as-
9
sistance in AED and CPR training; and
10
(5) the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary
11
of Health and Human Services.
12
(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry
13
out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated
14
$25,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2024 through
15
2028.
16
Æ
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