# 119-hr-5897: Public Access to Defibrillation in Transportation Facilities Act of 2025

119-hr-5897, Public Access to Defibrillation in Transportation Facilities Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Van Drew, Jefferson [R-NJ-2] (R-NJ); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5897
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-5897
- Congress: 119
- Title: Public Access to Defibrillation in Transportation Facilities Act of 2025
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-10-31
- Sponsor: Rep. Van Drew, Jefferson [R-NJ-2] (R-NJ)
- Cosponsors: 4
- Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

**Expand public access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) at interstate transportation facilities**. This bill would allow Surface Transportation Block Grant funds to buy and deploy AEDs and require written emergency action plans, backed by federal guidance and technical help to encourage adoption. - Travelers and the public would see more AEDs and emergency plans at bus and rail terminals, ferry terminals, and Interstate rest areas, aiming to speed response to cardiac arrests. The bill cites about 356,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests each year and notes survival falls about 7 to 10 percent for every minute without defibrillation. - State and local transportation agencies and facility owners would be able to use Section 133 grant projects to purchase AEDs and to develop written emergency action plans with federal recommendations and technical assistance from the Department of Transportation working with HHS and the CDC. - Federal enforcement and scope would change for transportation funding. The Secretary of Transportation could add terms and conditions to grants to promote adoption and the bill explicitly covers bus terminals, ferry terminals, rail passenger terminals, certain rail vehicles, and highway rest areas and takes effect 180 days after enactment.

## Cosponsors (4)

- Rep. Gillen, Laura [D-NY-4] (D-NY), 2025-10-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-12] (D-NY), 2025-11-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bresnahan, Robert P. [R-PA-8] (R-PA), 2025-11-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7] (D-VA), 2025-11-17T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Which transportation sites would be covered: benefit, medium. The bill would define covered sites. It would include bus, ferry, and rail passenger terminals, and Interstate highway rest areas. Some rail vehicles would count, but not those used only on very short runs between stops 15 minutes apart. The Secretary could include other similar sites. These defini…
- Grants for AEDs at transportation sites: benefit, medium. This bill would let states and localities use Surface Transportation Block Grant funds to buy and place AEDs. It would also let them use the grants to write and carry out emergency action plans that include AED use. The projects would need to be at eligible transportation facilities. If enacted, th…
- DOT help for AED planning and deployment: benefit, low. DOT would give technical help to owners and operators to follow AED placement advice and emergency plan guidelines. DOT, working with HHS and CDC, would also help states and local officials write the emergency action plans. This support would start 180 days after enactment.
- New AED rules tied to DOT funds: mixed, medium. DOT would issue best-practice advice on where to place and how to maintain AEDs at covered transportation sites. DOT would also issue model guidelines to help owners and operators build written emergency action plans. To push adoption, DOT could add terms and conditions to its grants. These steps w…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025
- 119-hr-2086: Rights for the TSA Workforce Act
- 119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act
- 119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act
- 119-hr-4583: Living Donor Protection Act of 2025
- 119-hr-4582: To amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 and title 5, United States Code, to clarify that organ donation surgery qualifies as a serious health conditi…

## Sources
- [119-hr-5897 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5897)

## Related
- [119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4669)
- [119-hr-2086: Rights for the TSA Workforce Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2086)
- [119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1262)
- [119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage A…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-842)
- [119-hr-4583: Living Donor Protection Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4583)
- [119-hr-4582: To amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 and title 5, United States Co…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4582)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5897 (as of 2026-04-21).