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Senate · Passed · 2025-2026 Regular Session

SB 399: "Mason Sells AED Coordination Act"; enact

Last action July 1, 2026 · Effective Date

Named for Mason Sells, this Georgia Senate bill would require anyone who owns an automated external defibrillator (AED) to notify local 911 dispatch centers of its location, and would require 911 communications officers to get CPR-assistance training by 2028.

Read the full bill text

These buttons carry the bill's own text, not the summaries below. Copy for LLM, View as markdown, and Send to AI use the Markdown version: the text as filed, then the summaries under a heading that names them as ours. View raw is the text alone.

The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Enrolled version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.

In plain language

Georgia law already encourages people who have automated external defibrillators (AEDs), the devices used to shock a heart back into rhythm during cardiac arrest, to get training and report their equipment. This bill rewrites that law (O.C.G.A. § 31-11-53.1) to require anyone who owns or maintains an AED to tell the local public safety answering point, meaning the 911 dispatch center, where the device is located before it's ever put into use. It also drops the old requirement that training come from the Department of Public Health and instead says training should come from the American Red Cross, the American Heart Association, or another nationally recognized program. The bill repeals the old emergency medical technician AED certification and disciplinary process, keeping mainly the liability protection for first responders who use an AED in good faith. Separately, it amends Georgia's peace officer training law (O.C.G.A. § 35-8-23) so that starting January 1, 2028, all 911 communications officers must complete training in telephone CPR instructions and AED guidance, unless they are already certified in emergency medical dispatch. The bill is named the 'Mason Sells AED Coordination Act.'

What the bill does

  • Requires anyone who owns or maintains an automated external defibrillator (AED) to notify the local 911 dispatch center of its location before the device is used.
  • Replaces the requirement that AED training come from the Department of Public Health with a recommendation to use the American Red Cross, American Heart Association, or other nationally recognized training programs.
  • Removes the state's old emergency medical technician AED certification program, its annual proficiency exam, and related disciplinary rules.
  • Requires all 911 communications officers, starting January 1, 2028, to complete training in telephone CPR guidance and helping callers use AEDs, unless already certified in emergency medical dispatch.
  • Keeps legal protection from civil lawsuits for first responders who use an AED in good faith without gross negligence.
  • Gives the Department of Public Health authority to write rules implementing the AED location notification requirement.

Who it affects

AED owners such as businesses, schools, gyms, and private colleges; 911 dispatch centers and the communications officers who staff them; emergency medical technicians and first responders who use AEDs; and the Department of Public Health and the peace officer training council, which oversee these requirements.

Why it matters

By requiring AED locations to be logged with 911 dispatchers and training dispatchers in phone-guided CPR and AED use, the bill aims to help 911 callers act faster during a cardiac emergency, potentially improving survival chances before an ambulance arrives.

Key provisions

  • Section 1 names the bill the 'Mason Sells AED Coordination Act.'
  • Section 2 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 31-11-53.1, adding definitions for 'agency,' 'person,' and 'public safety answering point,' and requiring AED owners to report device locations to the local 911 dispatch center before use.
  • Section 2 also shifts recommended AED training away from Department of Public Health-approved courses to nationally recognized programs like the Red Cross or American Heart Association.
  • Section 2 removes the prior emergency medical technician AED certification program, department-run proficiency exams, and related disciplinary provisions.
  • Section 2 preserves civil liability protection for first responders who use an AED in good faith without gross negligence or intent to harm.
  • Section 3 adds a new subsection to O.C.G.A. § 35-8-23 requiring communications officers to complete telephone CPR and AED-assistance training by January 1, 2028, with an exemption for those already certified in emergency medical dispatch.
  • Section 4 repeals conflicting laws.

From the bill

“On and after January 1, 2028, all communications officers shall be required to successfully complete training in the delivery of high-quality telephone cardiopulmonary resuscitation (T-CPR) and instructions to facilitate the use of automated external defibrillators”

This sets the 2028 deadline for 911 dispatchers to receive CPR and AED coaching training.

Discussed in meetings (16)

The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.

  1. Senate Public Safety Committee, February 18, 2026

    From 0:59:05 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the bill would coordinate information about AED locations on college campuses with 911 dispatchers and add AED instruction to dispatcher training. The sponsor said callers and dispatchers sometimes did not know where nearby equipment was located. A parent whose child died after collapsing during an intramural soccer match described an AED being locked inside an office without staff on site knowing about it or having access. The parent said an AED was within one minute of the child, but emergency responders did not deliver a shock for more than 13 minutes. The parent contrasted that experience with another athlete who survived after immediate AED use and urged better information about equipment locations, accessibility and operation. The chair supported giving dispatchers additional training and location information. No committee questions followed the testimony. The committee approved the bill unanimously.

  2. Senate Rules Committee, February 20, 2026

    From 0:06:48 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said SB 399 would coordinate 911 services with automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, on college campuses. The sponsor described a young person who died when an AED was locked inside a building and unavailable. The sponsor said work with the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency would help make campus AEDs available during emergencies. No questions or calendar action followed.

  3. Senate Rules Committee, February 24, 2026

    From 0:08:30 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the bill would coordinate 911 services with information about the locations of automated external defibrillators on college campuses. The sponsor said it was named for a young person who died. No substantive questions or vote followed.

  4. Senate Rules Committee, February 25, 2026

    From 0:23:52 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the bill would coordinate automated external defibrillator locations with 911 services so operators could tell callers where to find a device. The sponsor also said it would provide operator training on using the devices. No questions followed. The committee later unanimously included the bill on the floor calendar.

  5. Senate floor session, February 26, 2026 (legislative day 25)

    From 3:22:10 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Third Read)

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said SB 399 would map automated external defibrillators (AEDs), share their locations with 911 centers and arrange training so dispatchers could guide callers through CPR and AED use. The sponsor described a constituent's child whose heart stopped after being struck by a soccer ball and who died after waiting 13 minutes for paramedics with an AED. The sponsor said an AED was less than a mile away but its location was unknown and it was locked inside a building. The sponsor contrasted that with another young person who survived after receiving an AED within three minutes. The sponsor said existing campus AED maps were not coordinated with 911 services. No senators asked questions or spoke against the measure. The Senate adopted the committee substitute without objection and passed it 49 to 0.

  6. House Health Committee, March 9, 2026

    From 0:13:09 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said SB 399 would coordinate AED locations with 911 services and train dispatchers to guide callers through using the devices. A parent supporting the bill described a child's fatal cardiac arrest during college intramural soccer. The parent said an AED was about one minute away but locked in an office, and emergency responders did not deliver a shock until 13 minutes after the collapse. The parent said rapid AED use improves survival and envisioned future tracking technology, while describing college AED requirements as a separate proposal. One member asked about use without 911 assistance and legal protections. The sponsor said many AEDs provide spoken instructions, and the parent said Good Samaritan protections should apply. Asked about rural coverage, the sponsor said mapping would take time and coordination with emergency management officials. Asked about missing or stolen devices, the sponsor said mapped alternatives could help. On maintenance, the parent said owners already have responsibilities under Georgia law. Another member asked whether changing the reporting destination to a 911 answering point would still include emergency medical services. The sponsor affirmed that understanding and cited agency help drafting the language. The committee recommended passage by voice vote.

  7. House Rules Committee, March 11, 2026

    From 0:22:29 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said SB 399 would coordinate information about AED locations with 911 services and support training to guide callers through CPR and AED use. The sponsor described a constituent's child whose heart stopped after being struck in the chest by a soccer ball, when an available AED was locked inside a building. The sponsor contrasted that incident with another child who, the sponsor said, was revived after an AED was used within three minutes. The sponsor said knowing where AEDs are located could save lives. No questions were asked, and no vote was shown.

  8. House Rules Committee, March 17, 2026

    From 0:43:51 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 2699

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee placed SB 399 on the next day's floor calendar under modified structure rules. The motion was seconded, and no opposition was voiced. There was no discussion of the bill's contents.

  9. House floor session, March 18, 2026 (legislative day 33)

    From 2:48:43 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 2745

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The floor presenter said SB 399 would map automated external defibrillators at state facilities and share their locations with 911 centers. The presenter said it would also develop training, with the Georgia Emergency Communications Authority and Georgia Public Safety Training Center, so dispatchers could guide callers in using the devices. The presenter described a 21-year-old constituent who died after a soccer ball struck the constituent’s chest, saying paramedics arrived with a defibrillator after 13 minutes while another device was nearby but unknown. Asked about costs and training frequency, the presenter said no additional costs were anticipated beyond adding the material to routine training, recertification and retraining. The House passed the bill, 165 to 0, and the chair thanked the constituent’s parents for their advocacy.

Status timeline

  1. 2026-07-01Effective Date
  2. 2026-05-11Act 507
  3. 2026-05-11Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate)
  4. 2026-04-10Senate Sent to Governor (Senate)
  5. 2026-03-18House Passed/Adopted (House)
  6. 2026-03-18House Third Readers (House)
  7. 2026-03-10House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
  8. 2026-03-04House Second Readers (House)
Show full history (15 actions)
  1. 2026-03-03House First Readers (House)
  2. 2026-02-26Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
  3. 2026-02-26Senate Third Read (Senate)
  4. 2026-02-20Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
  5. 2026-02-19Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
  6. 2026-01-15Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
  7. 2026-01-14Senate Hopper (Senate)

Sponsors

  • Marty Harbin (R, SD-16)Primary sponsor
  • John Albers (R, SD-56)
  • Bo Hatchett (R, SD-50)
  • Max Burns (R, SD-23)
  • Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-31)
  • Jason T. Dickerson (R, SD-21)
  • Russ Goodman (R, SD-8)
  • Chuck Hufstetler (R, SD-52)
  • Rick Williams (R, SD-25)
  • Lee Anderson (R, SD-24)
  • Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-32)
  • Josh Bonner (R, HD-73)

Votes

  1. PassedSenate voteFebruary 26, 2026

    49 yea, 0 nay (4 not voting, 2 excused)

    PASSAGE BY SUBSTITUTE: Senate Vote #591

  2. PassedHouse voteMarch 18, 2026

    165 yea, 0 nay (1 not voting, 10 excused)

    PASSAGE: House Vote #717

Topics

  • automated external defibrillators
  • 911 dispatch
  • emergency medical services
  • first responder liability
  • public safety training

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Answers come from this document. Not legal advice.

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