Bill > A1592

Introduced Session

This bill requires every place of public assembly in the State to maintain an automated external defibrillator (AED) on-site. The bill defines a "place of public assembly" to mean an indoor or outdoor facility, building, or other site, which has the capacity to accommodate large public assemblies of at least 1,000 people at a time, including, but not limited to, a stadium, ballpark, gymnasium, race track, field house, arena, civic center, or other similar facility used for the conduct of sporting events; and any concert hall, recital hall, theater, indoor or outdoor amphitheater, or other auditorium space used for the presentation of musical renditions or concerts. A "place of public assembly" would not include any hall owned by a church, religious organization, grange, public association, or free library. The bill requires the owner or operator of each place of public assembly, within one year after the bill's effective date, to: - acquire, and maintain on-site at the place of public assembly, at least one AED, which is to remain accessible at all times when the place of public assembly is open for business; - store and maintain the AED in a central, unlocked location that is known and accessible to employees, and which is within reasonable proximity to the audience seating area; - ensure that the AED is tested and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's operational guidelines; - provide notification to the appropriate first aid, ambulance, or rescue squad, or other appropriate emergency medical services provider, regarding the acquisition of the AED, its type, and its location within the place of public assembly; and - mark the location of the AED with a prominent sign. A violation of the requirements of the bill will be punishable by a civil penalty of not less than $250 for a first violation, not less than $500 for a second violation, and not less than $1,000 for a third or subsequent violation. Consistent with existing law in this area, the bill specifies that a place of public assembly, its owner and operator, and its employees and volunteers will be immune from civil liability in association with the acquisition and use of an AED in accordance with the bill's provisions, and will be immune from civil or criminal liability resulting from the malfunctioning of an AED, if the AED has been maintained and tested in accordance with the manufacturer's operational guidelines, as required under the bill. The Commissioner of Health will be required to adopt rules and regulations to implement the bill's provisions, and the bill expressly authorizes the commissioner to require more than one AED be maintained at either all places of public assembly or at places of public assembly with high audience capacities, if the commissioner determines requiring such additional AEDs is appropriate.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Nicholas Chiaravalloti (D)*,  Herbert Conaway (D)*,  Timothy Eustace (D)*,  Reed Gusciora (D)*,  Gordon Johnson (D)*,  Angela Mcknight (D)*,  Jamel Holley (D), 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee (on 01/09/2018)