Residential AED and CPR Preparedness Act of 2026
HB9058, titled the Residential AED and CPR Preparedness Act of 2026, would amend the Public Health Service Act to create a federal grant program aimed at improving access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) resources in eligible federally assisted multifamily housing. The Secretary of Health and Human Services would be authorized to award grants to qualifying housing owners or operators working in partnership with a qualified health care entity to build comprehensive AED/CPR preparedness programs.
Grant funds could be used for a range of activities, including developing program materials, training residents and staff, creating cardiac emergency response plans, purchasing FDA-approved or cleared AEDs, maintaining equipment, and replacing outdated supplies and educational materials. The bill defines eligible housing as certain federally assisted multifamily properties with at least five units, including supportive housing for persons with disabilities, housing for the elderly, project-based Section 8 housing, public housing, and certain rental demonstration properties. It also requires HHS to consult with HUD, public health agencies, EMS organizations, and other stakeholders, and to report to Congress within two years after the first grant is awarded.
The bill would add a new section 312E to the Public Health Service Act and authorize $25 million annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2031, with funds available until expended. It would not directly mandate AED installation in all covered housing, but would create a federal grant mechanism to support voluntary preparedness programs in federally assisted multifamily housing. The measure would affect housing providers, resident populations in subsidized housing, and health care partners that can provide training and technical assistance, while also involving coordination between HHS and HUD and oversight by several congressional committees.
The available record shows no committee transcript or vote data, so there is no documented floor or committee debate to indicate partisan division or broad opposition. Based on the bill’s structure and purpose, the measure appears generally supportive of public health and emergency preparedness, with a focus on preventing cardiac deaths in higher-risk residential settings. The absence of recorded votes or discussion suggests the bill was at an early stage and had not yet generated a visible public controversy in the provided materials.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided context. Potential areas of debate, based on the bill text, could include the cost of the grant program, whether federal funds should be used for equipment and maintenance in housing developments, the administrative burden on housing owners and operators, and how eligibility and partnerships with health care entities would be implemented. Another possible issue is whether the program should be limited to federally assisted housing rather than extended more broadly to other multifamily residential settings.