H.R. 5897 requires the federal government to improve access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) at major transportation facilities to help save lives during sudden cardiac arrests. The bill allows states and local governments to use federal Surface Transportation Block Grant funds to purchase and deploy AEDs at transit hubs like bus terminals, train stations, ferry terminals, and highway rest areas on the Interstate System, as well as to develop emergency response plans for medical emergencies. The Secretary of Transportation, working with health agencies, must issue recommendations and guidelines for AED placement and maintenance at these facilities and provide technical assistance to facility owners and operators in implementing them. The bill affects transportation facility operators and states receiving federal transportation funds, though no specific new funding amounts are designated—rather, it opens existing transportation grant programs to cover AED purchases. The law takes effect 180 days after being enacted.
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