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Senate committee hears bill to simplify AED rules, notify 911 centers of locations
Summary
Sen. Greg Hertz told the Senate Public Health Committee that Senate Bill 86 would remove outdated paperwork and departmental rulemaking for automatic external defibrillator programs and require written notice to local 911 dispatch centers of AED locations; state health officials and the American Heart Association testified in support.
Senator Greg Hertz, sponsor of Senate Bill 86, told the Montana Senate Public Health Committee on Jan. 20 that the bill is intended to modernize the state's automatic external defibrillator (AED) statutes, remove regulatory burdens and require AED owners to notify local public safety answering points of device locations.
The legislation would remove sections of current law that the sponsor described as obsolete and no longer necessary because AED technology now includes voice prompts and other safeguards. "The defibrillators were brought into use in 1999 and the technology has changed substantially since then," Senator Greg Hertz said, adding the bill would eliminate departmental regulatory oversight and reduce staff time and paperwork.
Department of Public Health and Human Services EMS section supervisor Terry Mullins told the committee that AEDs now include voice and light prompts that guide a bystander through use and that the bill "removes those unnecessary regulations and paperwork" without compromising public safety. Mullins also said the department supports the measure and expects it will simplify program requirements for organizations that make AEDs available for public use.
Kali Wicks of the American Heart Association's Montana chapter urged passage, saying the bill reflects modernization of AED technology and could increase the number of public-access AEDs. "As a frontier state the response time for EMS varies greatly across our state," Wicks said. She noted many communities face 7-to-8-minute or longer EMS response intervals and that wider AED availability helps bystanders save lives while waiting for emergency services.
SB 86 adds a requirement that the owner or custodian of an AED provide written notice of the device’s location to the jurisdiction’s public safety answering point (dispatch center). The bill also preserves enforcement options: the text provides that violations may be addressed by either the county attorney or the Department of Public Health and Human Services by filing an action in district court.
Senators asked technical questions about liability and whether a rescuer can be electrocuted if they fail to follow device prompts. Mullins replied that following the machine’s voice and light prompts is central to safe use and that noncompliance with instructions could result in a shock to the rescuer. Senators also asked whether the bill would render existing department rules obsolete; Mullins said the department would amend or repeal rules once statutory changes take effect.
Sponsor closing: Senator Hertz recommended a "do pass" (due pass) recommendation to the committee.
The hearing record shows proponents from DPHHS and the American Heart Association and no opponents recorded in the transcript. No formal committee vote on SB 86 is shown in the transcript.
