a. More than 350,000 Americans die annually from out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest. Many die needlessly because life saving defibrillators are not immediately available. The American Heart Association estimates that almost 100,000 deaths could be prevented each year if defibrillators were more widely available;

b. Due to technological advances, automated external defibrillators may be used by lay persons without any training to provide defibrillation within the first minutes of cardiac arrest to victims, thereby increasing the victims’ chances of survival; and

c. It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage greater acquisition, deployment, and use of automated external defibrillators throughout this State by expanding immunity from civil liability of persons who acquire automated external defibrillators and by granting immunity from civil liability to lay persons who use them in good faith in emergency situations.

L.1999, c.34, s.1; amended 2012, c.6, s.1.