[Senate Report 108-70]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 139
108th Congress Report
SENATE
1st Session 108-70
======================================================================
AUTOMATIC DEFIBRILLATION IN ADAM'S MEMORY ACT
_______
June 13, 2003.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Gregg, from the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions, submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 231]
The Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, to
which was referred the bill (S. 231) to authorize the use of
certain grant funds to establish an information clearinghouse
that provides information to increase public access to
defibrillation in schools, having considered the same, reports
favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that the
bill do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
I. Purpose and need for legislation.................................1
II. Summary..........................................................2
III. History of legislation and votes in committee....................2
IV. Explanation of legislation and committee views...................2
V. Cost estimate and unfunded mandate statement.....................3
VI. Regulatory impact statement......................................3
VII. Application of law to the legislative branch.....................3
VIII.Section-by-section analysis......................................3
IX. Changes in existing law..........................................4
I. Purpose and Need for Legislation
The purpose of the Automatic Defibrillation in Adam's
Memory Act (ADAM Act) is to allow funds authorized under the
Community AED Act (Community Access to Emergency Defibrillation
Act) of 2002 to be used for the establishment of a national
clearinghouse to provide information to increase public access
to defibrillation in schools. The national clearinghouse will
provide schools with the proper instruction and technical
guidance to set up a public access defibrillation program. The
ADAM Act would ensure that schools have access to the
appropriate training and other logistics required for
successful programs.
Over 220,000 Americans die each year from cardiac arrest.
Every 2 minutes, an individual goes into cardiac arrest in the
United States. The chance of successfully returning to a normal
heart rhythm diminishes by 10 percent each minute following
sudden cardiac arrest. Eighty percent of cardiac arrests are
caused by ventricular fibrillation, for which defibrillation is
the only effective treatment. Sixty percent of all cardiac
arrests occur outside the hospital. The average national
survival rate for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is only 5
percent.
Communities that have established and implemented public
access defibrillation programs have achieved average survival
rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest as high as 50 percent.
In many communities, schools are a focal point for large
activities and are located near the city center. Promoting
early access to defibrillation in public venues will help
improve cardiac arrest survival rates.
II. Summary
The legislation amends Subsection (c) of section 312 of the
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 244), as amended by Public
Law 107-188 (Public Health Security and Bioterrorism
Preparedness and Response Act of 2002). The bill expands the
authorized uses of certain grant funds to include establishing
a national information clearinghouse that provides information
to increase public access to defibrillation in schools.
III. History of Legislation and Votes in Committee
During the 107th Congress, the full Senate, with consent
from the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions,
unanimously approved S. 1041, an earlier version of the ADAM
Act, as both stand-alone legislation and as part of S. 1275,
the Community AED Act. On February 6, 2002, the Senate
unanimously passed S. 1275, which included S. 1041. However, an
objection was raised and it was removed from the bill. On June
26, 2002, the Senate passed S. 1041 by unanimous consent.
During the 108th Congress, S. 231, the ADAM Act, was
introduced in the Senate on January 29, 2003 and referred to
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. S. 231
passed by unanimous consent during the committee's executive
session on April 12, 2003, with no amendments.
IV. Explanation of Legislation and Committee Views
The Automatic Defibrillation in Adam's Memory Act (ADAM
Act) allows funds authorized under the Community AED Act to be
used in an effort to establish a national clearinghouse to
provide information to increase public access to defibrillation
in schools.
This act will assist schools in having access to the
appropriate training and other logistics required for
successful programs.
The committee expects the legislation will assist schools
in having access to the appropriate training and other
logistics required for successful programs. Promoting early
access to defibrillation in public venues will help improve
cardiac arrest survival rates.
V. Cost Estimate and Unfunded Mandate Statement
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, April 11, 2003.
Hon. Judd Gregg,
Chairman, Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, U.S.
Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 231, the Automatic
Defibrillation in Adam's Memory Act.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Alexis
Ahlstrom.
Sincerely,
Barry. B. Anderson
(For Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Director).
Enclosure.
S. 231--Automatic Defibrillation in Adam's Memory Act
S. 231 would amend the Public Health Service Act to allow
funds appropriated under section 312 to be spent to establish
an information clearinghouse to increase access to
defibrillation in schools. Under current law, section 312
authorizes the appropriation of $25 million in 2003 and such
sums as may be necessary from 2004 through 2006 for grants to
states and tribal organizations to develop and implement public
access defibrillation programs. S. 231 would create an
additional use of the grant money authorized under section 312,
but it would not increase the authorization level for grants
under that section. Therefore, CBO estimates that the bill
would not affect discretionary spending. Enacting S. 231 also
would not affect direct spending or receipts.
This legislation contains no intergovernmental or private-
sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal
governments.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Alexis Ahlstrom.
This estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
VI. Regulatory Impact Statement
In accordance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the committee has determined that
there will be minimal increases in the regulatory burden
imposed by this bill.
VII. Application of Law to the Legislative Branch
The committee has determined that there is no legislative
impact.
VIII. Section-by-Section Analysis
Section 1. Short title
``Automatic Defibrillation in Adam's Memory Act''.
Section 2. Amendments to Public Health Service Act
The legislation establishes an information clearinghouse
that provides information to increase public access to
defibrillation in schools.
IX. Changes in Existing Law
In compliance with rule XXVI paragraph 12 of the Standing
Rules of the Senate, the following provides a print of the
statute or the part or section thereof to be amended or
replaced (existing law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in
black brackets, new matter is printed in italic, existing law
in which no change is proposed is shown in roman):
PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT
* * * * * * *
Automatic Defibrillation in Adam's Memory Act
* * * * * * *
TITLE III--GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES OF PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE
Part A--Research and Investigation
* * * * * * *
Part B--Federal-State Cooperation
IN GENERAL
Sec. 311. * * *
* * * * * * *
SEC. 312. [244] PUBLIC ACCESS DEFIBRILLATION PROGRAMS.
(a) In General.--* * *
* * * * * * *
(c) * * *
(1) * * *
* * * * * * *
(5) produce materials to encourage private companies,
including small businesses, to purchase automated
external defibrillators; [and]
(6) establish an information clearinghouse that
provides information to increase public access to
defibrillation in schools; and
[(6)] (7) further develop strategies to improve
access to automated external defibrillators in public
places.
* * * * * * *