Amends the definition of automated external defibrillator to remove the requirement that an action be taken by an operator before delivering an appropriate electrical impulse to the patient's heart to perform defibrillation.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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8964
IN SENATE
January 21, 2026
___________
Introduced by Sen. HINCHEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to automated external
defibrillators
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of section 3000-b of the
2 public health law, as added by chapter 552 of the laws of 1998, is
3 amended to read as follows:
4 (a) "Automated external defibrillator" means a medical device,
5 approved by the United States food and drug administration, that: (i) is
6 capable of recognizing the presence or absence, in a patient, of ventri-
7 cular fibrillation and rapid ventricular tachycardia; (ii) is capable of
8 determining, without intervention by an operator, whether defibrillation
9 should be performed on the patient; (iii) upon determining that defi-
10 brillation should be performed, automatically charges and requests
11 delivery of an electrical impulse to the patient's heart; and (iv)
12 then[, upon action by an operator,] delivers an appropriate electrical
13 impulse to the patient's heart to perform defibrillation.
14 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14231-01-5
