Senator Jeff Howe (R-Rockville) has introduced two bills that focus on expanding access to Automatic External Defibrillators (AED).

The first bill allows for AED signage to be included on state road signs in certain circumstances. Businesses with outdoor public access AEDs can request cities, counties, towns, states, or road authorities to put directional signs in place, showing where to find the device. This would expand access to these critical life-saving devices. This bill had bipartisan support when it was heard in the Senate Transportation committee and was re-referred to State Government.

“AEDs are already in a lot of locations throughout our state – they’re all over the place, but the problem is that many of those AEDs are inside buildings you can’t get to during certain hours,” said Howe. “There’s been a movement to place these AEDs in publicly accessible places that can be reached at any time, and this bill would ensure there’s proper signage for people to follow when they need to utilize one of these devices.”

Faith’s Law is the second bill, which gives a grant allowing schools to purchase, install, and operate public access AEDs. The bill’s namesake, Faith Larsen, tragically passed away in October 2022 a week after collapsing while playing pickup basketball with friends at Maple River High School. The only AED near them was locked in the school’s athletic director’s office, and was unreachable for those trying to save her. This bill was referred to the Senate’s Education Finance Committee, but has not yet received a hearing.

“We want kids to be safe at school, and that means ensuring school buildings are equipped with easily-accessible AEDs for any students or adults that may need them,” continued Howe. “Both of these bills expand access to these lifesaving devices and ensure that anyone who needs them can find them before it’s too late. We owe it Faith’s family and others like them – in her memory, we should do all we can to ensure these tragic scenarios never occur again.”