H.R. 5897 — Public Access to Defibrillation in Transportation Facilities Act of 2025

This section states congressional findings that sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) causes an estimated 356,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests annually, automated external defibrillators (AEDs) can deliver life-saving shocks to restore heart rhythm, and survival likelihood decreases by 7 to 10 percent per minute without defibrillation; it expresses the sense of Congress that federal agencies, states, and municipalities should accelerate AED deployment in locations frequented by large crowds.

This section expands eligibility under the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program—which provides flexible formula grants to states for surface transportation projects, including highways, bridges, transit facilities, and freight rail—to include (1) projects to purchase and deploy automated external defibrillators at eligible transportation facilities and (2) projects to develop and implement written emergency action plans for medical emergencies at such facilities, including automated external defibrillator use. The section further directs the Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to provide technical assistance to states and local officials in developing those emergency action plans.

This section directs the Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to issue (1) recommendations for deploying automated external defibrillators (AEDs) at interstate transportation facilities (i.e., bus terminals, ferry terminals, and rail passenger transportation terminals; Interstate System highway rest areas; certain rail passenger vehicles; and other facilities as determined by the Secretary) based on best practices for placement and maintenance and (2) guidelines to assist owners and operators in developing and implementing written emergency action plans for medical emergencies, including AED use. The section further requires the Secretary to provide technical assistance for compliance and authorizes additional terms and conditions on Department of Transportation financial assistance programs to promote adoption of the recommendations and guidelines.