Sponsored by:
Assemblyman REGINALD W. ATKINS
District 20 (Union)
Assemblywoman SHANIQUE SPEIGHT
District 29 (Essex)
Assemblywoman ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT
District 31 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes grant program to promote increased access to automated external defibrillators; appropriates $100,000.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning access to automated external defibrillators, supplementing Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. There is established in the Department of Education an automated external defibrillator grant program. Under the program, the department shall award grants to public and private elementary and secondary schools that include any of the grades kindergarten through 12, as well as public and private institutions of higher education, to promote access to automated external defibrillators and cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the school or institution of higher education, consistent with the requirements of subsection b. of this section. The department shall consult with the Secretary of Higher Education in developing standards, policies, procedures, and protocols for grant awards to institutions of higher education.
b. Grants may be awarded under the program for the following purposes:
(1) developing and providing comprehensive materials to establish automated external defibrillator and cardiopulmonary resuscitation programs in the school or institution of higher education;
(2) providing support for automated external defibrillator and cardiopulmonary resuscitation programs for students and staff of, and volunteers with sports programs operating at or through, the school or institution of higher education;
(3) providing support for developing a cardiac emergency action plan within the school or institution of higher education;
(4) purchasing automated external defibrillators;
(5) purchasing necessary automated external defibrillator batteries and performing necessary automated external defibrillator maintenance in accordance with manufacturer specifications;
(6) replacing old and outdated automated external defibrillators and cardiopulmonary resuscitation equipment, machinery, and educational materials;
(7) fostering new and existing community partnerships with and among public and private elementary and secondary schools, institutions of higher education, local education advocacy organizations, nonprofit organizations, public health organizations, emergency medical service providers, police and fire departments, and parent-teacher associations, to promote the importance of access to defibrillation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation in schools and institutions of higher education;
(8) aiding athletic departments in schools and institutions of higher education seeking to develop programs to screen student athletes for risk of sudden cardiac arrest; and
(9) further developing strategies to improve access to automated external defibrillators and cardiopulmonary resuscitation in schools and institutions of higher education.
c. A school or institution of higher education may apply for a grant under the program by submitting an application to the department, in a form and manner as the department shall require, which applications shall include, at a minimum, details concerning the purposes for which a grant awarded under the program would be used by the school or institution of higher education, along with a plan of execution.
d. No later than 12 months after the effective date of this act, the department shall establish a database to collect and make publicly available information concerning access to automated external defibrillators and cardiopulmonary resuscitation in schools and institutions of higher education, including the costs of ensuring access to and training in automated external defibrillators and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, which database shall include information reported by schools, institutions of higher education, automated external defibrillator manufacturers, and other sources the department deems appropriate. The department may establish any mandatory reporting requirements as the department deems necessary and appropriate to establish and maintain the database. Any information in the database that is made available to the public shall be presented in the aggregate, and shall not include any information that could be used to identify any individual. The department may share database information with State and federal health authorities and research institutions as appropriate to facilitate research and public health measures related to pediatric sudden cardiac arrest.
e. (1) No later than four years after receiving a grant under the program, the grant awardee shall submit a report to the department with details concerning the use of grant funds and any effects the grant had on access to defibrillation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation at the school or institution of higher education. The report shall detail the status of any unexpended grant funds, and may include recommendations for initiatives that may be implemented at the State or local level to improve access to defibrillation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation among student populations.
(2) No later than five years after the effective date of this act, and annually thereafter, the department shall prepare and submit a report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), concerning its findings and recommendations with regard to the grant program, including the use of grant funds awarded under the program, an evaluation of the initiatives taken using grant funds, and recommendations as to whether the grant program should be continued or expanded.
2. The Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health and the Secretary of Higher Education, shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act, P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as shall be necessary to implement the provisions of this bill.
3. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Education the sum of $100,000, which sum shall be used to fund the grant program established pursuant to section 1 of this act.
4. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes an automated external defibrillator (AED) grant program in the Department of Education (department). Under the program, the department will award grants to public and private elementary and secondary schools and public and private institutions of higher education to expand access to AEDs and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Specifically, grants may be awarded to:
1) develop and provide comprehensive materials to establish and support AED and CPR programs and cardiac emergency action plans;
2) purchase AEDs and AED batteries, perform AED maintenance, and replace old and outdated AEDs and CPR equipment, machinery, and educational materials;
3) foster new and existing community partnerships to promote access to defibrillation and CPR