119-hr5897

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5897 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 5897

 To amend title 23, United States Code, to improve access to automated 
 external defibrillators at interstate transportation facilities, and 
 for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 October 31, 2025

 Mr. Van Drew (for himself and Ms. Gillen) introduced the following 
 bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and 
 Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend title 23, United States Code, to improve access to automated 
 external defibrillators at interstate transportation facilities, and 
 for other purposes.

 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 ``Public Access to Defibrillation in 
Transportation Facilities Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    (a) 

=== Findings ===
-Congress finds the following:

    (1) Sudden cardiac arrest (in this section referred to as 
 ``SCA'') is a leading cause of death in the United States, with 
 an estimated 356,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occurring 
 annually.

    (2) Automated external defibrillators (in this section 
 referred to as ``AEDs'') are a vital tool in responding to SCA, 
 as they are capable of delivering a life-saving shock to 
 restore the heart's natural rhythm.

    (3) There is a need for quick response times in cases of 
 SCA, as every minute that passes without defibrillation 
 decreases the likelihood of survival by 7 to 10 percent.

    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that Federal 
agencies, States, and municipalities should accelerate efforts to 
deploy AEDs in locations that are frequented by large crowds.

SEC. 3. EXPANSION OF SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM TO FUND 
 AED DEPLOYMENT.

    (a) In General.--

Section 133

    (b) of title 23, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
 ``

    (25) Projects to purchase and deploy automated external 
 defibrillators for use at transportation facilities otherwise 
 eligible for assistance under this section.
 ``

    (26) Projects to develop and implement written emergency 
 action plans for responding to medical emergencies at 
 transportation facilities otherwise eligible for assistance 
 under this section, including the use of automated external 
 defibrillators.''.

    (b) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary of Transportation, in 
consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the 
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall 
provide technical assistance to States and local officials in 
developing the written emergency action plans referred to in 

section 133

    (b)

    (26) of title 23, United States Code (as added by subsection

    (a) of this section).

SEC. 4. DEPLOYMENT OF AEDS IN INTERSTATE TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Transportation, in consultation 
with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall issue--

    (1) recommendations for the deployment of automated 
 external defibrillators (in this section referred to as 
 ``AEDs'') at interstate transportation facilities based on best 
 practices for the placement and maintenance of AEDs; and

    (2) guidelines to assist any owner or operator of an 
 interstate transportation facility in developing and 
 implementing for such facility a written emergency action plan 
 for responding to medical emergencies, including the use of 
 AEDs.

    (b) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary of Transportation shall 
provide technical assistance to owners and operators of interstate 
transportation facilities in complying with the recommendations and 
guidelines issued under subsection

    (a) .
            (c) Enforcement.--In carrying out financial assistance programs of 
the Department of Transportation, including its components, the 
Secretary of Transportation may impose such additional terms and 
conditions as the Secretary determines necessary to provide for 
adoption of the recommendations and guidelines issued under subsection

    (a) .
            (d) === Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) Interstate system.--The term ``Interstate System'' has 
 the meaning given such term in 

section 101 of title 23, United 
 States Code.

    (2) Interstate transportation facility.--The term 
 ``interstate transportation facility'' includes--
        (A) a bus terminal, a ferry terminal, and a rail 
 passenger transportation terminal;
        (B) a highway rest area on the Interstate System;
            (C) a vehicle used to provide rail passenger 
 transportation, other than a vehicle used exclusively 
 to provide transportation between station stops located 
 within 15 minutes of each other (as determined using 
 times established in public timetables); and
            (D) such other facilities as the Secretary of 
 Transportation determines appropriate.

    (3) Rail passenger transportation.--The term ``rail 
 passenger transportation'' includes transportation provided by 
 a rail fixed guideway public transportation system, an 
 intercity passenger rail system, or a commuter rail passenger 
 transportation system that receives Federal assistance, as 
 identified by the Secretary of Transportation.

SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.

 This Act, and the amendments made by this Act, shall apply 
beginning on the date that is 180 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act.
 <all>