HOUSTON, Texas (KIAH) Texas businesses and organizations could soon save the lives of many in the state thanks to a new law that will make it easier for them to have Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs).
The law will take effect on Wednesday, September 1 and was passed with unanimous, bi-partisan support. It was endorsed by the American Heart Association, the Texas Medical Association, and industry groups like the Texas Restaurant Association and the Texas Hotel and Lodging Association.
Many Texas businesses had been reluctant to have AEDs because Texas was one of fewer than 15 states that allowed a business to be sued if an AED was not used properly. Texas also required that businesses put all employees through a two-hour training course as a precondition for having an AED.
The new reforms improve the state`s AED laws in three ways:
- Businesses and organizations who own, manage, or occupy a property where an AED is placed will no longer have civil liability for any misuse of, or failure to use, their AED
- Businesses and organizations will not have to train everyone in their building as a prerequisite for having an AED, and
- Businesses will be required to check their AEDs monthly to ensure they are ready for use.
