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

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.'

• 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.

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.

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.

• 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.

1. 2026-05-11Effective Date 2026-07-01
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)

• Marty Harbin (R, SD-016)Primary sponsor
• John Albers (R, SD-056)
• Bo Hatchett (R, SD-050)
• Max Burns (R, SD-023)
• Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-031)
• Jason T. Dickerson (R, SD-021)
• Russ Goodman (R, SD-008)
• Chuck Hufstetler (R, SD-052)
• Ricky Williams (R, SD-025)
• Lee Anderson (R, SD-024)
• Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-032)
• Josh Bonner (R, HD-073)

1. PassedSenate voteFebruary 26, 2026

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

   Passage By Substitute: Senate Vote #591

2. PassedHouse voteMarch 18, 2026

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

   Passage: House Vote #717

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