BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 1369
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 21, 2003

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                              Darrell Steinberg, Chair

                     AB 1369 (Pavley) - As Amended:  May 7, 2003 

          Policy Committee:                              Human  
          ServicesVote:5-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires residential care facilities for the elderly  
          (RCFE) with more than 60 residents to have automatic external  
          defibrillators (AED) and train staff accordingly. Specifically,  
          this bill: 

          1)Requires implementation by January 1, 2005. 

          2)Requires staff training meet Emergency Medical Services  
            Authority standards. 

          3)Requires RCFE to have a written plan that describes the  
            procedures to be followed when an AED is used. 

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          1)Unknown costs to RCFE, which are privately funded, for  
            purchase of and training related to AEDs.  AEDs cost between  
            $1,500 and $3,000 each and training by the American Red Cross  
            is approximately $45 per participant. It is not known how many  
            facilities covered by this bill already have AEDs.

          2)Because RCFE are funded through monthly private payments from  
            individuals and because the Department of Social Services  
            (DSS) already has regulations governing the use of AEDs in  
            RCFE, this bill does not have an impact on state or local  
            government costs.

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  . This bill requires large RCFE to acquire and  








                                                                  AB 1369
                                                                  Page  2

            utilize AEDs in order to increase the survival rates  
            associated with cardiac arrests. 

           2)Background  . RCFE serve clients 60 years of age and older who  
            are unable to live by themselves but who do not require  
            24-hour nursing care. There are approximately 6,000 RCFE  
            statewide licensed by the DSS, serving 150,000 patients.  
            Approximately 10 percent of RCFE have 60 or more residents.   
            Therefore, up to 600 facilities will be required to have an  
            AED.  


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Mary Ader / APPR. / (916) 319-2081