SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2342        FILED ON: 1/20/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1517

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Ryan C. Fattman

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act to provide automated external defibrillators in all public safety vehicles.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2342        FILED ON: 1/20/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1517

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 1582 OF 2021-2022.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

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An Act to provide automated external defibrillators in all public safety vehicles.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Chapter 29 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 2OOOOO the following section:-

Section 2PPPPP. (a) There shall be established and set upon the books of the commonwealth a separate fund to be known as the Automatic External Defibrillator Trust Fund. The secretary of public safety and security shall administer the fund and make expenditures from the fund in the form of grants to municipalities, public colleges and universities, and corporations for charitable purposes as defined by section 2 of chapter 180 of the general laws, for the purchase of automated external defibrillators for public safety and first responder vehicles. The fund shall be credited with: (i) any revenue from appropriations or other monies authorized by the general court and specifically designated to be credited to the fund; (ii) any gifts, grants, private contributions or investment income earned on the assets of the fund; and (iii) revenues, not more than $1,000,000 in a calendar year.  Any money in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund but shall remain available for expenditure in subsequent fiscal years. The secretary shall annually, not later than December 31, report on the activity of the fund to the clerks of the senate and house of representatives and the senate and house committees on ways and means.

(b) There shall be a public safety vehicle equipment surcharge of $0.50 imposed upon each vehicular rental transaction in the commonwealth. The surcharge shall be deposited in the Automatic External Defibrillator Trust Fund established in this section; provided, however, that not more than $1,000,000 collected from the surcharge in a calendar year be deposited into the fund; and provided further, that any amount collected from the surcharge above $1,000,000 in a calendar year shall be deposited into the General Fund. The surcharge shall not apply to transportation network companies or to rental periods of less than 24 hours that are charged on an hourly basis.

SECTION 4. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2025.