Amd §3000-f, Pub Health L (as proposed in S.7424 & A.366-A)
Requires camps and youth sports programs have at least one automated external defibrillator; requires camps and youth sports programs to use best efforts to have at least one person trained to use such defibrillators at camps, games and practices.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A8554
SPONSOR: Otis TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring camps
and youth programs have at least one automated external defibrillator
PURPOSE:
To make clarifications related to the definition of "camp" and require-
ments for each camp and youth sports program to establish an automated
external defibrillator implementation plan.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
This bill amends Chapter 681 of the Laws of 2023 by amending the defi-
nition 'of "camp" to mean children's overnight camps, summer day camps,
or traveling summer day camps which are subject to regulation by the
department. The bill also changes the requirement for youth sports
programs to develop an automated external defibrillator (AED) implemen-
tation plan, by limiting the requirement to programs that host or
participate in games, tournaments, leagues, or similar activities with
at least five other teams participating. Additionally, the bill
includes clarifications to the AED implementation plan, including an
option to describe reasonable access to an AED, a 'requirement to "use
best efforts" to ensure there is at least one AED trained employee at
each game and practice, and allowing implementation plans to cite AED
access provided by the athletic facilities or playing fields at their
location.
JUSTIFICATION:
The American Heart Association (AHA) reported in 2018 that there are
more than 356,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests annually in the United
States, nearly 90 percent of which are fatal. Death can result within
minutes from cardiac arrest if proper steps-such as performing cardiop-
ulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and using an automated external defibrilla-
tor (AED)-to shock the heart and restore a normal heart rhythm are not
taken immediately. 2019 data shows that 38.3% of cases are witnessed by
a layperson, and by an EMS provider in 12.7%. Trained non-medical
personnel can use AEDs, which are simplified and portable electronic
medical devices, to treat a person in cardiac arrest using voice
prompts, lights and text messages to walk the responder through the
steps.
According to Saving Active Hearts, a non-profit organization founded in
2019 to increase public awareness of the need to create response plans
to cardiac emergencies, statistics show the alarming reality of the risk
of death from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in children younger than 18
years old. Over 7,000 children experience out of hospital cardiac arrest
every year. Although sudden cardiac arrest in student athletes may be
more visible, sudden cardiac death also occurs in young non-athletes.
Sports-related SCAs account for 39% of SCAs in children ages 18 years
old or younger.
This legislation provides clarifying amendments to a requirement for
every camp or youth sports program to create an automated external defi-
brillator implementation plan to described how AEDs will be made avail-
able at every camp, game or practices with at least one employee, volun-
teer, coach, umpire, or other qualified adult who successfully completed
an AED training course within twenty-four months of each camp session,
game, or practice. These amendments address technical issues and poten-
tial fiscal concerns with the AED implementation plan, while ensuring
that camps and youth sports programs have a concrete assessment for how
this life saving equipment will be on-site with trained individuals at
every event in case AEDs are necessary.
If AEDs are available in camps, in gyms and on the fields, lives will be
saved.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
This is a new bill.
BUDGET IMPLICATIONS:
None noted.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the same date and in the same manner as a
chapter of the laws of 2023 amending the public health law relating to
requiring camps and youth sports programs to establish an automated
external defibrillator implementation plan, as proposed in legislative
bills numbers S. 7424 and A. 366-A, takes effect.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8554
IN ASSEMBLY
January 8, 2024
___________
Introduced by M. of A. OTIS -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring camps
and youth programs have at least one automated external defibrillator
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subdivision 1 of section 3000-f of the
2 public health law, as added by a chapter of the laws of 2023 amending
3 the public health law relating to requiring camps and youth sports
4 programs to establish an automated external defibrillator implementation
5 plan, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 7424 and A. 366-A, is
6 amended to read as follows:
7 (d) "Camp" means a children's overnight camp, summer day camp, or
8 traveling summer day camp, as such terms are defined in section thirteen
9 hundred ninety-two of this chapter, that is subject to regulation by the
10 department.
11 § 2. Subdivision 2 of section 3000-f of the public health law, as
12 added by a chapter of the laws of 2023 amending the public health law
13 relating to requiring camps and youth sports programs to establish an
14 automated external defibrillator implementation plan, as proposed in
15 legislative bills numbers S. 7424 and A. 366-A, is amended to read as
16 follows:
17 2. Within one hundred eighty days of the effective date of this
18 section, [a camp or] each camp, and each youth sports program that
19 either hosts or participates in games, matches, tournaments, leagues, or
20 similar activities in which at least five teams are participating, shall
21 establish [and submit to the department of health] an automated external
22 defibrillator implementation plan describing how the camp or program
23 will:
24 (a) make available an automated external defibrillator or describe
25 reasonable access to an automated external defibrillator at every camp,
26 game and practice; and
27 (b) use best efforts to ensure that there is at least one employee,
28 volunteer, coach, umpire or other qualified adult who is present at each
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02973-09-4
A. 8554 2
1 such camp, game and practice who has successfully completed a training
2 course within the preceding twenty-four months of each such camp
3 session, game and practice.
4 (c) Each camp and youth sports program shall [include in their plan
5 details for maintaining] maintain records that such camp or youth sports
6 program possesses [a sufficient number of] at least one automated
7 external [defibrillators to meet the requirements of paragraphs (a) and
8 (b) of this subdivision] defibrillator.
9 (d) Implementation plans shall include an equipment checklist and
10 cardiac emergency protocol for when cardiac emergency incidents occur.
11 (e) Implementation plans can include automated external defibrillator
12 access provided by athletic facilities, playing fields or site for games
13 or practices where the operator of the facility provides automated
14 external defibrillator access at their location.
15 § 3. This act shall take effect on the same date and in the same
16 manner as a chapter of the laws of 2023 amending the public health law
17 relating to requiring camps and youth sports programs to establish an
18 automated external defibrillator implementation plan, as proposed in
19 legislative bills numbers S. 7424 and A. 366-A, takes effect.
