Findings; sense of Congress

(a) Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Sudden cardiac arrest (in this section referred to as SCA) is a leading cause of death in the United States, with an estimated 356,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occurring annually. (2) Automated external defibrillators (in this section referred to as AEDs) are a vital tool in responding to SCA, as they are capable of delivering a life-saving shock to restore the heart’s natural rhythm. (3) There is a need for quick response times in cases of SCA, as every minute that passes without defibrillation decreases the likelihood of survival by 7 to 10 percent. (b) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that Federal agencies, States, and municipalities should accelerate efforts to deploy AEDs in locations that are frequented by large crowds.