Senate Bill sb0328c2
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Florida Senate - 2005 CS for CS for SB 328
By the Committees on Justice Appropriations; Community
Affairs; and Senators Fasano, Bennett, Lynn and Crist
604-2049-05
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; limiting the amount of such grants to
10 amounts specifically appropriated; providing
11 for administrative costs; requiring a law
12 enforcement agency to provide matching funds
13 when making a grant request; providing an
14 exception; providing for priority consideration
15 for certain applications; requiring the
16 department to adopt rules; providing an
17 effective date.
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19 WHEREAS, automated external defibrillators (AEDs) have
20 saved numerous lives in Florida from sudden cardiac arrest,
21 and
22 WHEREAS, currently only 5 percent of sudden cardiac
23 arrest victims survive, and
24 WHEREAS, early defibrillation is critical in saving
25 lives from sudden cardiac arrest, and
26 WHEREAS, a victim of sudden cardiac arrest who is not
27 defibrillated within 8 to 10 minutes has little chance of
28 survival, and
29 WHEREAS, even the best emergency medical services
30 systems are often not able to respond to victims of sudden
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Florida Senate - 2005 CS for CS for SB 328
604-2049-05
1 cardiac arrest within the necessary 4 minutes after collapse,
2 and
3 WHEREAS, law enforcement officers who have been
4 equipped with AEDs in their cars have saved lives, and
5 WHEREAS, law enforcement officers are frequently first
6 on the scene in an emergency medical situation, and
7 WHEREAS, communities have greater numbers of law
8 enforcement officers than emergency medical service personnel,
9 and
10 WHEREAS, victims of sudden cardiac arrest have a
11 greater chance of survival in communities where law
12 enforcement officers are equipped with AEDs, and
13 WHEREAS, AEDs allow trained lay rescuers to quickly and
14 safely deliver defibrillation before emergency medical service
15 personnel can arrive, and
16 WHEREAS, law enforcement officers are continuously on
17 patrol and are poised to respond immediately to emergencies,
18 and
19 WHEREAS, equipping law enforcement vehicles with AEDs
20 can save lives, NOW, THEREFORE,
21
22 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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24 Section 1. (1)(a) The Legislature finds that placing
25 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in law enforcement
26 vehicles will save lives.
27 (b) The Legislature further finds that law enforcement
28 officers have an established public role as guardians of
29 public safety and are in a unique position to help reduce
30 death from sudden cardiac arrest. Therefore, the Legislature
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Florida Senate - 2005 CS for CS for SB 328
604-2049-05
1 intends to promote and encourage law enforcement agencies to
2 equip their vehicles with AEDs.
3 (2) As used in this section, the term:
4 (a) "AED" means an automated external defibrillator.
5 (b) "Department" means the Department of Law
6 Enforcement.
7 (c) "Law enforcement agency" means any law enforcement
8 service provider, including a municipal police department, a
9 county sheriff's office, and the Florida Highway Patrol.
10 (d) "Law enforcement vehicle" means any marked or
11 unmarked automobile used by a law enforcement agency to serve
12 the community or patrol a specific area.
13 (3) The department shall administer a grant program to
14 provide funds to law enforcement agencies for the purpose of
15 placing AEDs in law enforcement vehicles. Grants awarded by
16 the department shall be limited to amounts specifically
17 appropriated each year for the purposes of this section. The
18 department may spend up to 3 percent of the funds received
19 under this section for administrative costs.
20 (4)(a) A law enforcement agency shall provide matching
21 funds of at least 25 percent in order to be considered for
22 funding when making a grant request.
23 (b) A law enforcement agency that serves a rural
24 community as defined in s. 288.0656, Florida Statutes, which
25 requests a grant is not required to provide a 25-percent
26 match, but must provide matching funds of at least 10 percent
27 in order to be considered for funding. The department shall
28 give priority consideration to grant applications from rural
29 law enforcement agencies.
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Florida Senate - 2005 CS for CS for SB 328
604-2049-05
1 (5) The department shall adopt rules for administering
2 the Automated External Defibrillator Grant Program by
3 September 1, 2005.
4 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
5 law.
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7 STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
8 CS for SB 328
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10 The CS specifies that grants awarded by the Department of Law
Enforcement to law enforcement agencies for the purpose of
11 placing Automated External Defibrillators in law enforcement
vehicles shall be limited to amounts specifically appropriated
12 each year for administering the grant program. The CS allows
the department to spend up to three percent of the funds
13 appropriated for administrative costs.
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