Committee reports bill to require defibrillators in specified state buildings

The House State Government Committee voted to report House Bill 193, a measure to require the presence of automated external defibrillators in certain Commonwealth-owned buildings.

Representative Brennan, who joined the committee remotely, explained the bill’s public-safety purpose and cited national incidents that illustrate how a timely AED can raise survival rates after out‑of‑hospital cardiac arrest. “Nearly a half million people have a cardiac arrest each year … the survival rate jumps up exponentially if an AED is applied,” Brennan said, noting the measure would require at least one AED per identified facility and an additional AED for every 70,000 square feet.

Committee members asked about costs and maintenance. Brennan said a fiscal note from the prior year estimated initial costs at about $67,500 for 30 state buildings (average AED cost cited as ~$2,000 plus cabinet costs) and reminded the panel that annual recertification costs of about $400–$500 per unit should be considered. Representative Schaefer said he would support the bill on public-safety grounds; Representative Roy asked why the administration had already placed AEDs in most buildings but not all, prompting Brennan to say the bill would remove gaps and focus on occupied public buildings.

The committee moved to report the bill; the motion passed on a roll-call vote. The bill will advance for further consideration, where the Appropriations Committee and executive-branch partners will address cost and implementation details.