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          Session of 1998
                    SENATE BILL No. 508           By Committee on Public Health and Welfare           1-27             9             AN ACT relating to automatic external defibrillators; authorizing use by
10             certain persons; requiring training and activation of the emergency
11             medical services system upon use of a defibrillator; encouraging certain
12             persons and entities to register a defibrillator; providing immunity
13             from liability for certain persons.
14            
15       Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
16           Section 1. (a) It is the intent of the legislature that an automatic
17       external defibrillator may be used by any person for the purpose of saving
18       the life of another person in cardiac arrest.
19           (b) In order to ensure public health and safety:
20           (1) All persons who have access to or use an automatic external de-
21       fibrillator must obtain appropriate training to include completion of a
22       course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation or successful completion of a
23       basic first aid course that includes cardiopulmonary resuscitation training
24       and have demonstrated proficiency in the use of an automatic external
25       defibrillator;
26           (2) any person or entity in possession of an automatic external defib-
27       rillator is encouraged to register with the local emergency medical serv-
28       ices medical director the existence and location of the automatic external
29       defibrillator; and
30           (3) any person who uses an automatic external defibrillator is re-
31       quired to activate the emergency medical services system as soon as pos-
32       sible upon use of the automatic external defibrillator.
33           (c) Any person, including a person licensed to practice medicine and
34       surgery, who gratuitously and in good faith renders emergency care or
35       treatment by the use of or provision of an automatic external defibrillator,
36       without objection of the injured victim or victims thereof, shall not be
37       held liable for any civil damages as a result of such care or treatment or
38       as a result of any act or failure to act in providing or arranging further
39       medical treatment where the person acts as an ordinary reasonably pru-
40       dent person would have acted under the same or similar circumstances.
41           Sec. 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
42       publication in the statute book.
43