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*hb0276*
HOUSE BILL 276
J1 6lr0224
(PRE–FILED) CF SB 24
By: Chair, Health Committee (By Request – Departmental – Maryland Institute
for Emergency Medical Services Systems)
Requested: October 1, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Health
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: February 18, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
State Emergency Medical Services Board – Public Access Automated External 2
Defibrillator Program – Revisions 3
FOR the purpose of altering the Public Access Automated External Defibrillator Program, 4
including by establishing requirements regarding an automated external 5
defibrillator (AED) coordinator, repealing certain provisions of law regarding 6
regional council AED committees, and exempting certain law enforcement agencies 7
from being required to obtain a certificate for an AED deployed in a patrol vehicle of 8
the law enforcement agency; establishing certain certification qualifications for 9
grocery stores and restaurants under the Program; and generally relating to the 10
Public Access Automated External Defibrillator Program. 11
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 12
Article – Education 13
Section 13–517 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 16
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 17
Article – Health – General 18
Section 21–330.3(c) 19
Annotated Code of Maryland 20
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 21
2 HOUSE BILL 276
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 1
Article – Public Safety 2
Section 2–101(a) and (g) 3
Annotated Code of Maryland 4
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 5
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 6
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 7
Article – Education 8
13–517. 9
(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 10
(2) “AED COORDINATOR” MEANS THE INDIVIDUAL DESIGNATED BY A 11
REGISTERED ENTITY TO ENSURE COMPLIAN CE WITH THE REQUIREM ENTS OF THIS 12
SECTION. 13
[(2)] (3) “Automated external defibrillator (AED)” means a medical heart 14
monitor and defibrillator device that: 15
(i) Is cleared for market by the [federal] U.S. Food and Drug 16
Administration; 17
(ii) Recognizes the presence or absence of ventricular fibrillation or 18
rapid ventricular tachycardia; 19
(iii) Determines, without intervention by an operator, whether 20
defibrillation should be performed; 21
(iv) On determining that defibrillation should be performed, 22
automatically charges; and 23
(v) 1. Requires operator intervention to deliver the electrical 24
impulse; or 25
2. Automatically continues with delivery of electrical 26
impulse. 27
[(3)] (4) “Certificate” means a certificate issued by th e EMS Board to a 28
registered [facility] ENTITY. 29
HOUSE BILL 276 3
[(4) (i)] (5) [“Facility”] “ENTITY” means AN ORGANIZATION, A 1
BUSINESS, AN ASSOCIATION, an agency, [an association, ] a corporation, a firm, OR a 2
partnership[, or any other entity] IN THE STATE. 3
[(ii) “Facility” does not include a grocery store or restaurant that is 4
subject to § 21–330.3 of the Health – General Article.] 5
[(5)] (6) “Jurisdictional emergency medical services operational program” 6
means the institution, agency, corporation, or other enti ty that has been approved by the 7
EMS Board to provide oversight of emergency medical services for each of the local 8
government and State and federal emergency medical services programs. 9
(7) “LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENC Y” HAS THE MEANING STAT ED IN § 10
2–101 OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY ARTICLE. 11
[(6)] (8) “Program” means the Public Access Automated External 12
Defibrillator Program. 13
[(7) “Regional administrator” means the individual employed by the 14
Institute as regional administrator in each EMS region. 15
(8) “Regional council” means an EMS advisory body as created by the Code 16
of Maryland Regulations 30.05. 17
(9) “Regional council AED committee” means a committee appointed by the 18
regional council consisting of: 19
(i) The regional medical director; 20
(ii) The regional administrator; and 21
(iii) Three or more individuals with knowledge of and expertise in 22
AEDs.] 23
[(10)] (9) “Registered [facility”] ENTITY” means an [organization, a 24
business association, an agency, or any other ] entity that meets the requirements of the 25
EMS Board for registering with the Program. 26
(b) (1) There is a Public Access Automated External Defibrillator Program. 27
(2) The purpose of the Program is to: 28
(i) Coordinate an effective statewide public access defibrillation 29
program; and 30
4 HOUSE BILL 276
(ii) Implement the initiative to co –locate naloxone with automated 1
external defibrillators placed in public buildings, as required under § 13 –518 of this 2
subtitle. 3
(3) The Program shall be administered by the EMS Board. 4
(c) The EMS Board may: 5
(1) Adopt regulations for the administration of the Program; 6
(2) Issue and renew certificates to [facilities] ENTITIES that meet the 7
requirements of this section; 8
(3) Deny, suspend, revoke, or refuse to renew the certificate of a registered 9
[facility] ENTITY for failure to meet the requirements of this section; 10
(4) Approve educational and training programs required under this section 11
that: 12
(i) Are conducted by any private or public entity; AND 13
(ii) [Include training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and 14
automated external defibrillation; and 15
(iii)] May include courses from nationally recognized [entities] 16
ORGANIZATIONS such as the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross, and 17
the National Safety Council; AND 18
[(5) Approve the protocol for the use of an AED; and] 19
[(6)] (5) Delegate to the Institute any portion of its authority under this 20
section. 21
(d) (1) [Each facility] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (3) OF THIS 22
SUBSECTION, EACH ENTITY that desires to make automated external defibrillation 23
available shall possess a valid certificate from the EMS Board. 24
(2) This subsection does not apply to: 25
(i) A jurisdictional emergency medical services operational 26
program; 27
(ii) A licensed commercial ambulance service; 28
(iii) A health care facility as defined in § 19 –114 of the 29
Health – General Article; or 30
HOUSE BILL 276 5
(iv) A place of business for health care practitioners who are licensed 1
as dentists under Title 4 of the Health Occupations Article or as physicians under Title 14 2
of the Health Occupations Article and are authorized to use an AED in accordance with 3
that license. 4
(3) A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY MAY NOT BE REQUIRED TO OBTAIN 5
A CERTIFICATE FOR AN AED DEPLOYED IN A PATROL VEHICLE OF THE LAW 6
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. 7
(e) (1) To EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS 8
SUBSECTION, TO qualify for AND RETAIN a certificate [a facility] AN ENTITY shall: 9
(1) (I) [Comply with the written protocol approved by the EMS Board ] 10
HAVE A WRITTEN PLAN for the use of an AED [which] THAT includes [notification of] A 11
REQUIREMENT THAT THE ENTITY NOTIFY the emergency medical services system 12
through the use of the 911 universal emergency access number as soon as possible on the 13
use of an AED; 14
(2) (II) Have established [automated external defibrillator ] AED 15
maintenance, placement, operation, AND reporting[, and quality improvement] procedures 16
as required by the EMS Board; 17
(3) (III) [Maintain] REQUIRE THE AED COORDINATOR TO MAINTAIN 18
THE FUNCTIONALITY OF each AED and all related equipment and supplies in accordance 19
with the standards established by the device manufacturer and the [federal] U.S. Food 20
and Drug Administration; 21
[(4) Ensure that each individual who is expected to operate an AED for the 22
registered facility has successfully completed an educational training course and refresher 23
training as required by the EMS Board; and] 24
(4) (IV) REQUIRE THE AED COORDINATOR TO PROMO TE 25
AWARENESS OF THE LOC ATION AND OPERATION OF THE AED AMONG POTENTIAL 26
OR FORESEEABLE AED OPERATORS IN CASE OF EMERGENCY; AND 27
(5) (V) If the [facility] ENTITY is a public building, meet any 28
requirements established under § 13 –518 of this subtitle relating to the co –location of 29
naloxone with each AED maintained [in] BY the [facility] ENTITY. 30
(2) FOR AN ENTITY THAT IS A GROCERY STORE OR R ESTAURANT, TO 31
QUALIFY FOR AND RETAIN A CERTIFICATE, THE ENTITY SHALL: 32
(I) REGISTER THE NAME OF THE ENTITY WITH THE PROGRAM; 33
AND 34
6 HOUSE BILL 276
(II) MAINTAIN THE FUNCTION ALITY OF EACH AED AND ALL 1
RELATED EQUIPMENT AN D SUPPLIES IN ACCORD ANCE WITH THE STANDA RDS 2
ESTABLISHED BY THE D EVICE MANUFACTURER A ND THE U.S. FOOD AND DRUG 3
ADMINISTRATION. 4
(f) IN ADDITION TO THE RE QUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED IN THIS SECTION , 5
AN ENTITY OTHER THAN A GROCERY STORE OR RESTAURANT THAT IS SUBJECT TO § 6
21–330.3 OF THE HEALTH – GENERAL ARTICLE SHALL ENSURE THAT THE AED 7
COORDINATOR HAS SUCC ESSFULLY COMPLETED A N EDUCATIONAL TRAINI NG 8
COURSE AND ANY REFRE SHER TRAINING COURSE S AS REQUIRED BY THE EMS 9
BOARD. 10
(G) A registered [facility] ENTITY shall report the use of an AED to the Institute 11
[for review by the regional council AED committee] USING THE FORM PROVIDED BY THE 12
INSTITUTE. 13
[(g)] (H) [A facility] AN ENTITY that desires to [establish] OBTAIN or renew a 14
certificate shall: 15
(1) Submit an application on the form that the EMS Board requires; and 16
(2) Meet the requirements under this section. 17
[(h)] (I) (1) The EMS Board shall issue a new or a renewed certificate to [a 18
facility] AN ENTITY that meets the requirements of this section. 19
(2) Each certificate shall include: 20
(i) The type of certificate; 21
(ii) The full name and address of the [facility] ENTITY; 22
(iii) A unique identification number; and 23
(iv) The dates of issuance and expiration of the certificate. 24
(3) A certificate is valid for 3 years. 25
[(i)] (J) The EMS Board may issue a cease and desist order or obtain injunctive 26
relief if [a facility ] AN ENTITY makes automated external defibrillation available in 27
violation of this section. 28
HOUSE BILL 276 7
[(j)] (K) (1) In addition to any other immunities available under statutory or 1
common law, a registered [facility] ENTITY is not civilly liable for any act or omission in 2
the provision of automated external defibrillation if the registered [facility] ENTITY: 3
(i) Has satisfied the requirements for making [automated external 4
defibrillation] AN AED available under this section; and 5
(ii) Possesses a valid certificate at the time of the act or omission. 6
[(2) In addition to any other immunities available under statutory or 7
common law, a member of the regional council AED committee is not civilly liable for any 8
act or omission in the provision of automated external defibrillation.] 9
[(3)] (2) In addition to any other immunities available under statutory or 10
common law, an individual is not civilly liable for any act or omission if: 11
(i) The individual is acting in good faith while rendering automated 12
external defibrillation to a person who is a victim or reasonably believed by the i ndividual 13
to be a victim of a sudden cardiac arrest; 14
(ii) The assistance or aid is provided in a reasonably prudent 15
manner; and 16
(iii) The automated external defibrillation is provided without fee or 17
other compensation. 18
[(4)] (3) The immunities in this subsection are not available if the conduct 19
of the registered [facility] ENTITY or an individual amounts to gross negligence, willful or 20
wanton misconduct, or intentionally tortious conduct. 21
[(5)] (4) This subsection does not affe ct, and may not be construed as 22
affecting, any immunities from civil or criminal liability or defenses established by any 23
other provision of the Code or by common law to which a registered [facility, a member of 24
the regional council AED committee,] ENTITY or an individual may be entitled. 25
[(k)] (L) (1) A registered [facility] ENTITY aggrieved by a decision of the 26
Institute acting under the delegated authority of the EMS Board under this section shall 27
be afforded an opportunity for a hearing before the EMS Board. 28
(2) A registered [facility] ENTITY aggrieved by a decision of the EMS 29
Board under this section shall be afforded an opportunity for a hearing in accordance with 30
Title 10, Subtitle 2 of the State Government Article. 31
Article – Health – General 32
21–330.3. 33
8 HOUSE BILL 276
(c) [Beginning January 1, 2025, each ] EACH owner and operator of a grocery 1
store or restaurant shall: 2
(1) Place an automated external defibrillator in a prominent area, 3
accessible to employees and customers; and 4
[(2) Maintain the function ality of the automated external defibrillator .]; 5
AND 6
(2) (3) COMPLY WITH THE APPLICABLE REQUIREMENTS OF THE 7
PUBLIC ACCESS AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR PROGRAM PROVIDED 8
UNDER § 13–517 OF THE EDUCATION ARTICLE. 9
Article – Public Safety 10
2–101. 11
(a) In this title the following words have the meanings indicated. 12
(g) (1) “Law enforcement agency” means a law enforcement agency of a 13
department, county, or municipal corporation of the State. 14
(2) “Law enforcement agency” includes: 15
(i) sheriffs; and 16
(ii) similar agencies of other states and the United States. 17
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 18
October 1, 2026. 19
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.