An Act to Require Bleeding Control Kits in State-owned Buildings

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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 774
H.P. 497 House of Representatives, February 25, 2025
An Act to Require Bleeding Control Kits in State-owned Buildings
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative PERKINS of Dover-Foxcroft.
Cosponsored by Senator CYRWAY of Kennebec and
Representatives: ARDELL of Monticello, BUNKER of Farmington, FOSTER of Dexter,
LAJOIE of Lewiston, MCINTYRE of Lowell, NUTTING of Oakland, Senators: MOORE of
Washington, TIMBERLAKE of Androscoggin.

Page 1 - 132LR1541(01)
1Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §1755 is enacted to read:
3§1755. Bleeding control kits
41. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the
5 following terms have the following meanings.
6 A. "Bleeding control kit" means a first aid response kit that contains, at a minimum:
7 (1) A commercial grade tourniquet endorsed by a combat casualty care committee
8 under the United States Department of Defense;
9 (2) Wound-packing gauze;
10 (3) A compression bandage;
11 (4) A hemostatic dressing endorsed by a combat casualty care committee under the
12 United States Department of Defense;
13 (5) A pair of nonlatex gloves;
14 (6) A pair of scissors;
15 (7) A marker pen;
16 (8) Instructional documents on bleeding control developed by the United States
17 Department of Defense or by a nationally recognized professional medical
18 association for surgeons or a successor organization; and
19 (9) Any additional item that:
20 (a) Is approved by a law enforcement agency or emergency medical services
21 provider;
22 (b) Can adequately treat a traumatic injury; and
23 (c) Can be stored in a bleeding control kit.
24 B. "Department" means the Department of Administrative and Financial Services.
25 C. "State-owned building" means an occupied, nonresidential building owned or leased
26 by the State in which a person employed by the State performs job duties.
272. Bleeding control kits required. Beginning October 1, 2026, a state-owned building
28 must have one or more clearly visible, centrally located and easily accessible bleeding
29 control kits in a number adequate to service the population of the state-owned building at
30 maximum occupancy.
31 This subsection does not apply to a state-owned building that is vacant, under construction
32 or under renovation.
333. Inspection of bleeding control kits. A bleeding control kit must be inspected on a
34 regular basis. The inspection must include whether:
35 A. All required materials and supplies are present;
36 B. All materials and supplies are within their expiration dates; and
37 C. All materials and supplies are serviceable and in good condition.
Page 2 - 132LR1541(01)
1 Each bleeding control kit must contain an inspection log indicating the date of each
2 inspection, any deficiencies discovered by the inspection and the action, if any, taken to
3 address the deficiency.
44. Use of bleeding control kits. This section does not compel or require any person
5 to respond to an emergency or use a bleeding control kit. A person who, in good faith and
6 without compensation, renders emergency care with a bleeding control kit is not liable for
7 civil damages for any act or omission in using the bleeding control kit unless the act or
8 omission is grossly negligent or purposeful.
95. Bleeding Control Kit Fund. The Bleeding Control Kit Fund is established. The
10 fund is administered by the department to provide a grant to or to reimburse a school,
11 business or other organization that places a bleeding control kit on the school's, business's
12 or organization's premises or that makes available a bleeding control training program or a
13 similar program. The fund consists of appropriations, allocations or money received
14 through grants, gifts or donations from public or private sources. Funds in the fund do not
15 lapse but carry over to the next fiscal year. Interest from the fund accrues to the fund.
166. Rules. The department may adopt rules to implement this section. Rules adopted
17 pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules pursuant to chapter 375, subchapter
18 2-A.
19Sec. 2. Identification of state-owned buildings requiring placement of
20bleeding control kits. By July 1, 2026, the Department of Administrative and Financial
21 Services, in consultation with the Department of Public Safety, Maine Emergency Medical
22 Services, shall identify the state-owned buildings requiring placement of bleeding control
23 kits, the order of priority of state-owned buildings for placement of bleeding control kits,
24 the number and locations for placement of bleeding control kits for each state-owned
25 building and a schedule for future placements of bleeding control kits. This section does
26 not apply to a state-owned building that is vacant, under construction or under renovation.
27 For purposes of this section, "bleeding control kit" has the same meaning as in the Maine
28 Revised Statutes, Title 5, section 1755, subsection 1, paragraph A and "state-owned
29 building" has the same meaning as in Title 5, section 1755, subsection 1, paragraph C.
30SUMMARY
31 This bill requires all state-owned buildings to have bleeding control kits and creates a
32 fund to provide grants or reimbursements to schools, businesses or other organizations that
33 place bleeding control kits on their premises or make available bleeding control training
34 programs.
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