Senate Bill sb0328
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2005 SB 328
By Senator Fasano
11-281-05
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to automated external
3 defibrillators in law enforcement vehicles;
4 providing legislative findings and intent;
5 providing definitions; requiring the Department
6 of Law Enforcement to administer a grant
7 program to fund the placement of automated
8 external defibrillators in law enforcement
9 vehicles; requiring a law enforcement agency to
10 provide matching funds when making a grant
11 request; requiring the department to adopt
12 rules; providing an appropriation; providing
13 for unused funds to be carried over for a
14 specified period; providing an effective date.
15
16 WHEREAS, automated external defibrillators (AEDs) have
17 saved numerous people in this state from sudden cardiac
18 arrest, and
19 WHEREAS, only 5 percent of sudden cardiac arrest
20 victims currently survive, and
21 WHEREAS, early defibrillation is critical in saving
22 victims of sudden cardiac arrest, and
23 WHEREAS, a victim of sudden cardiac arrest who is not
24 defibrillated within 8 to 10 minutes has little chance of
25 survival, and
26 WHEREAS, even the best emergency medical providers are
27 often unable to respond to victims of sudden cardiac arrest
28 within the necessary 4 minutes after collapse, and
29 WHEREAS, law enforcement officers who have been
30 equipped with AEDs in their cars have saved lives, and
31
1
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2005 SB 328
11-281-05
1 WHEREAS, law enforcement officers are frequently the
2 first responders to an emergency medical situation, and
3 WHEREAS, communities have greater numbers of law
4 enforcement officers than emergency medical personnel, and
5 WHEREAS, victims of sudden cardiac arrest have a
6 greater chance of survival in communities where law
7 enforcement vehicles are equipped with AEDs, and
8 WHEREAS, AEDs allow trained law enforcement officers to
9 quickly and safely deliver defibrillation before emergency
10 medical personnel can arrive, and
11 WHEREAS, law enforcement officers are continuously on
12 patrol and are poised to respond immediately to emergencies,
13 and
14 WHEREAS, equipping law enforcement vehicles with AEDs
15 can save lives, NOW, THEREFORE,
16
17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
18
19 Section 1. (1)(a) The Legislature finds that placing
20 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in law enforcement
21 vehicles will save lives.
22 (b) The Legislature further finds that law enforcement
23 officers have an established public role as guardians of
24 public safety and are in a unique position to help reduce
25 death from sudden cardiac arrest. Therefore, the Legislature
26 intends to promote and encourage law enforcement agencies to
27 equip their vehicles with AEDs.
28 (2) As used in this section, the term:
29 (a) "AED" means an automated external defibrillator.
30 (b) "Department" means the Department of Law
31 Enforcement.
2
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2005 SB 328
11-281-05
1 (c) "Law enforcement agency" means any law enforcement
2 service provider, including a police department, a sheriff's
3 office, and the Florida Highway Patrol.
4 (d) "Law enforcement vehicle" means any marked or
5 unmarked automobile used by a law enforcement officer or the
6 Florida Highway Patrol to serve the community or patrol a
7 specific area.
8 (3) The department shall administer a grant program to
9 provide funds to law enforcement agencies for the purpose of
10 placing AEDs in law enforcement vehicles.
11 (4)(a) A law enforcement agency shall provide matching
12 funds of at least 25 percent in order to be considered for
13 funding when making a grant request.
14 (b) A law enforcement agency that serves a rural
15 community as defined in section 288.0656, Florida Statutes,
16 which requests a grant is not required to provide a 25-percent
17 match, but must provide matching funds of at least 10 percent
18 in order to be considered for funding.
19 (5) The department shall adopt rules for administering
20 the AED grant program by September 1, 2005.
21 Section 2. (1) The sum of $4.8 million is
22 appropriated from the General Revenue Fund to the Department
23 of Law Enforcement for the purpose of implementing a
24 competitive grant program during the 2005-2006 fiscal year for
25 placing AEDs in law enforcement vehicles.
26 (2) The department shall carryover any unused funds
27 from the 2005-2006 fiscal year for a period not to exceed 2
28 years for the purpose of distributing any remaining funds to
29 law enforcement agencies through the AED grant program.
30 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
31 law.
3
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2005 SB 328
11-281-05
1 *****************************************
2 SENATE SUMMARY
3 Provides funding to the Department of Law Enforcement for
a grant program to equip law enforcement vehicles with
4 automated external defibrillators. Provides criteria for
a law enforcement agency to make a grant request.
5 Requires the department to adopt rules.
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
4
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.