Bill would place defibrillators in federal buildings

Most Americans are familiar with defibrillators-machines that use an electrical charge to restart a stopped heart-from television shows like "ER" or "Chicago Hope." Now across the country, automatic external defibrillators are being put in public places so someone with only a few hours training, or none at all, can save a heart attack victim's life.

The House Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Health and Environment passed a measure Tuesday (H.R. 2498) that directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop guidelines for placing these new devices, known as AEDs, in federal government buildings as soon as it is feasible. The bill would also provide a nationwide standard of liability protection for "Good Samaritans" who might use AEDs improperly while trying to help.

A quarter of a million people die in America every year from sudden cardiac arrest. A heart attack victim's chance of survival decreases by 10 percent every minute until he or she receives treatment.

At the hearing that preceded Tuesday's markup, the subcommittee heard from Robert Adams of a New York, an attorney and NCAA referee. Adams suffered a heart attack two years ago in the main concourse of Grand Central Station. He broke down in tears as he told the panel how his life was saved by an AED that had been installed in the train station only one day before his heart attack.

"Voting against this bill is like voting against fire extinguishers a hundred years ago," said Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., the bill's sponsor.

There are several brands of AEDs, but they are all about the size of a laptop computer and cost around $3,000 apiece. To use the machines, you just attach two adhesive pads to a patient's chest, and connect the wires from them to the AED. The machine analyzes the patient's heart beat, and automatically decides whether a jolt is necessary and how much of a charge should be used. If the first shock fails to restore the patient's heartbeat, the machine will repeat the procedure until it is successful.

In the interest of encouraging people to use the AEDs to help heart attack victims, "Good Samaritan" laws, which protect someone who tries to use an AED from legal liability, have been enacted in 46 states. But members of Congress have been concerned that some of the state laws are not strong enough, so H.R. 2498 sets a nationwide minimum standard for liability protection.

Stearns offered an amendment in the nature of a substitute to the bill, which passed on a voice vote. The amendment sought to clarify congressional intent, close loopholes in the "Good Samaritan" section of the bill, make the language more consistent with the Volunteers Protection Act, and make it clear that the liability protection is only a "gap-filler" for state laws that are inadequate.

At least one agency, the U.S. Geological Survey, has already installed defibrillators in its headquarters.

The measure, as amended, passed on a unanimous voice vote.