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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
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*hb1645*
HOUSE BILL 1645
J1 6lr3613
By: Delegate Howard
Rules suspended
Introduced and read first time: February 28, 2026
Assigned to: Rules and Executive Nominations
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Public Health – American Legion Automated External Defibrillator Grant 2
Program – Established 3
FOR the purpose of establishing the American Legion Automated External Defibrillator 4
Grant Program; requiring the Maryland Department of Health to award grants to 5
eligible American Legion posts to procure and make available automated external 6
defibrillators on the premises of American Legion posts; and generally relating to 7
automated external defibrillators in American Legion posts. 8
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 9
Article – Education 10
Section 13–517(a)(1) and (2) 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 13
BY adding to 14
Article – Health – General 15
Section 20–2501 and 20–2502 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 25. American 16
Legion Automated External Defibrillator Grant Program” 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 19
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 20
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 21
Article – Education 22
13–517. 23
(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 24
2 HOUSE BILL 1645
(2) “Automated external defibrillator (AED)” means a medical heart 1
monitor and defibrillator device that: 2
(i) Is cleared for market by the federal Food and Drug 3
Administration; 4
(ii) Recognizes the presence or absence of ventricular fibrillation or 5
rapid ventricular tachycardia; 6
(iii) Determines, without intervention by an operator, whether 7
defibrillation should be performed; 8
(iv) On determining that defibrillation should be performed, 9
automatically charges; and 10
(v) 1. Requires operator intervention to deliver the electrical 11
impulse; or 12
2. Automatically continues with del ivery of electrical 13
impulse. 14
Article – Health – General 15
SUBTITLE 25. AMERICAN LEGION AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR 16
GRANT PROGRAM. 17
20–2501. 18
(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 19
INDICATED. 20
(B) “AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DE FIBRILLATOR (AED)” HAS THE MEANING 21
STATED IN § 13–517 OF THE EDUCATION ARTICLE. 22
(C) “GRANT PROGRAM” MEANS THE AMERICAN LEGION AUTOMATED 23
EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR GRANT PROGRAM. 24
20–2502. 25
(A) THERE IS AN AMERICAN LEGION AUTOMATED EXTERNAL 26
DEFIBRILLATOR GRANT PROGRAM IN THE DEPARTMENT. 27
HOUSE BILL 1645 3
(B) THE PURPOSE OF THE GRANT PROGRAM IS TO AWARD G RANTS TO 1
AMERICAN LEGION POSTS IN THE STATE TO PROCURE AND MAKE AVAILABLE AEDS 2
ON THE PROPERTY OF AMERICAN LEGION POSTS. 3
(C) AN AMERICAN LEGION POST THAT IS NOT ABLE TO PROCURE AND MAKE 4
AVAILABLE AT LEAST TWO AEDS ON THE PREMISES IS ELIGIBLE FOR A GR ANT 5
UNDER THE GRANT PROGRAM. 6
(D) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL: 7
(1) ADMINISTER THE GRANT PROGRAM; AND 8
(2) IDENTIFY AND APPLY FOR FUNDING FOR THE GRANT PROGRAM. 9
(E) (1) IN AWARDING GRANTS UN DER THE GRANT PROGRAM, THE 10
DEPARTMENT SHALL PRIORITIZE APPLICANTS IN ORDER OF DESCENDING NEED. 11
(2) AN APPLICANT THAT DOE S NOT HAVE AN AED ON PREMISES 12
SHALL BE CONSIDERED TO BE OF GREATER NEE D THAN AN APPLICANT THAT HAS 13
ONLY ONE AED ON PREMISES. 14
(F) THE GOVERNOR MAY INCLUDE IN THE ANNUAL BUDGET BILL AN 15
APPROPRIATION TO THE GRANT PROGRAM. 16
(G) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADOP T REGULATIONS TO CARRY OUT 17
THIS SUBTITLE. 18
(2) REGULATIONS ADOPTED U NDER THIS SUBSECTION SHALL 19
INCLUDE: 20
(I) A SIMPLE COMMON APPLICATION PROCEDURE; AND 21
(II) FOR ELIGIBLE AMERICAN LEGION POSTS, A PROCESS TO 22
FACILITATE THE PARTICIPATION OF AMERICAN LEGION POSTS THAT HAVE LIMITED 23
RESOURCES OR LANGUAGE BARRIERS. 24
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 25
October 1, 2026. 26