Senate Bill sb0328c1

    Florida Senate - 2005                            CS for SB 328

    By the Committee on Community Affairs; and Senators Fasano,
    Bennett, Lynn and Crist




    578-1735-05

  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; providing an exception; providing for

12         priority consideration for certain

13         applications; authorizing local governments to

14         use funds derived from forfeiture proceedings

15         to purchase automated external defibrillators

16         for law enforcement, firefighting, and

17         emergency medical services vehicles and for

18         training personnel; requiring the department to

19         adopt rules; providing an appropriation;

20         providing for administrative costs; providing

21         for unused funds to be carried over for a

22         specified period; providing an effective date.

23  

24         WHEREAS, automated external defibrillators (AEDs) have

25  saved numerous people in this state from sudden cardiac

26  arrest, and

27         WHEREAS, only 5 percent of sudden cardiac arrest

28  victims currently survive, and

29         WHEREAS, early defibrillation is critical in saving

30  victims of sudden cardiac arrest, and

31  

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2005                            CS for SB 328
    578-1735-05




 1         WHEREAS, a victim of sudden cardiac arrest who is not

 2  defibrillated within 8 to 10 minutes has little chance of

 3  survival, and

 4         WHEREAS, even the best emergency medical providers are

 5  often unable to respond to victims of sudden cardiac arrest

 6  within the necessary 4 minutes after collapse, and

 7         WHEREAS, law enforcement officers who have been

 8  equipped with AEDs in their cars have saved lives, and

 9         WHEREAS, law enforcement officers are frequently the

10  first responders to an emergency medical situation, and

11         WHEREAS, communities have greater numbers of law

12  enforcement officers than emergency medical personnel, and

13         WHEREAS, victims of sudden cardiac arrest have a

14  greater chance of survival in communities where law

15  enforcement vehicles are equipped with AEDs, and

16         WHEREAS, AEDs allow trained law enforcement officers to

17  quickly and safely deliver defibrillation before emergency

18  medical personnel can arrive, and

19         WHEREAS, law enforcement officers are continuously on

20  patrol and are poised to respond immediately to emergencies,

21  and

22         WHEREAS, equipping law enforcement vehicles with AEDs

23  can save lives, NOW, THEREFORE,

24  

25  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

26  

27         Section 1.  (1)(a)  The Legislature finds that placing

28  automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in law enforcement

29  vehicles will save lives.

30         (b)  The Legislature further finds that law enforcement

31  officers have an established public role as guardians of

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    Florida Senate - 2005                            CS for SB 328
    578-1735-05




 1  public safety and are in a unique position to help reduce

 2  death from sudden cardiac arrest. Therefore, the Legislature

 3  intends to promote and encourage law enforcement agencies to

 4  equip their vehicles with AEDs.

 5         (2)  As used in this section, the term:

 6         (a)  "AED" means an automated external defibrillator.

 7         (b)  "Department" means the Department of Law

 8  Enforcement.

 9         (c)  "Law enforcement agency" means any law enforcement

10  service provider, including a police department, a sheriff's

11  office, and the Florida Highway Patrol.

12         (d)  "Law enforcement vehicle" means any marked or

13  unmarked automobile used by a law enforcement agency to serve

14  the community or patrol a specific area.

15         (3)  The department shall administer a grant program to

16  provide funds to law enforcement agencies for the purpose of

17  placing AEDs in law enforcement vehicles.

18         (4)(a)  A law enforcement agency shall provide matching

19  funds of at least 25 percent in order to be eligible for

20  funding when making a grant request.

21         (b)  A law enforcement agency that serves a rural

22  community as defined in section 288.0656, Florida Statutes,

23  which requests a grant is not required to provide a 25-percent

24  match, but must provide matching funds of at least 10 percent

25  in order to be considered for funding. The department shall

26  give priority consideration to grant applications received

27  from rural law enforcement agencies.

28         (5)  A local government may use funds derived from

29  forfeiture proceedings to purchase automated external

30  defibrillators for law enforcement, firefighting, and

31  

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2005                            CS for SB 328
    578-1735-05




 1  emergency medical services vehicles and to train personnel on

 2  the proper use of the AED equipment.

 3         (6)  The department shall adopt rules for administering

 4  the Automated External Defibrillator grant program by

 5  September 1, 2005.

 6         Section 2.  (1)  The sum of $4.8 million is

 7  appropriated from the General Revenue Fund to the Department

 8  of Law Enforcement for the purpose of implementing a

 9  competitive grant program during the 2005-2006 fiscal year for

10  placing automated external defibrillators in law enforcement

11  vehicles.

12         (2)  The department may spend up to 3 percent of the

13  funds received under subsection (1) for administrative costs.

14         (3)  The department shall carry over any unused funds

15  from the 2005-2006 fiscal year for a period not to exceed 2

16  years for the purpose of distributing any remaining funds to

17  law enforcement agencies through the Automated External

18  Defibrillator grant program.

19         Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

20  law.

21  

22          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
23                         Senate Bill 328

24                                 

25  The CS modifies the definition of "law enforcement vehicle" to
    specify that it is a vehicle used by a law enforcement agency.
26  The CS describes the grant program as the "Automated External
    Defibrillator Grant Program" and provides that the FDLE must
27  give priority consideration to grant applications from rural
    law enforcement agencies. FDLE is authorized to spend up to 3
28  percent of the Grant funds for administrative cost.

29  The CS also provides that a local government may use funds
    derived from forfeiture proceedings to purchase AEDs for law
30  enforcement, firefighting, and emergency medical services
    vehicles and to train personnel on the proper use of the AED
31  equipment.

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.