Summary#

HB 1645, “Public Health - American Legion Automated External Defibrillator Grant Program - Established,” would add a grant program to Maryland’s Health-General Article. Its stated goal is to help American Legion posts obtain and make automated external defibrillators (AEDs) available on their property. The bill is introduced and is not law; if enacted, it would take effect October 1, 2026.

• The Maryland Department of Health must run the program and identify and apply for funding.
• A post is eligible if it cannot procure and make available at least two AEDs on its premises.
• The Department must prioritize applicants by descending need. A post with no AED must be treated as having greater need than a post with one.
• The Department must adopt regulations, including a simple common application and a process to help eligible posts with limited resources or language barriers participate.
• The Governor may propose an appropriation for the program in the annual budget bill. The bill does not itself provide an appropriation.

What it means for you#

• American Legion posts: A post that cannot provide at least two AEDs could qualify for a grant. The bill does not guarantee that every eligible post will receive one.
• Posts applying for grants: The Department must create an application process and ways to facilitate participation for eligible posts with limited resources or language barriers.
• Maryland Department of Health: The Department must administer the program, seek funding, and write regulations.
• General public: The bill concerns AEDs on American Legion post property. It does not require posts to make them available to the public at particular times or set public-access rules.

Money#

The bill requires the Department to seek funding, but gives no estimate of program costs or grant amounts.

• The Governor may include money for the program in the annual budget; the bill does not require an appropriation.
• No publicly available information is provided in the supplied material about expected staffing costs, funding sources, or how many grants might be awarded.

What is unclear#

• The bill does not define how the Department should measure “descending need,” beyond ranking posts with no AED above posts with one.
• It does not set grant amounts, say what costs grants may cover, or require a post to contribute matching funds.
• The bill does not specify timelines, award procedures, or appeals.
• It does not address AED upkeep, training, or public access. The regulations may address some implementation details, but the bill does not require these specific rules.
• The current parent laws were not supplied in full, so overlap with any existing AED grant programs or other current support could not be verified.

Case for#

• The bill appears intended to help American Legion posts that lack enough AEDs to obtain them.
• Prioritizing posts with no AED over those with one directs attention first to posts with less equipment.
• A simple application process and help for posts with limited resources or language barriers could make it easier for eligible posts to participate.

Case against#

• The program’s funding is not guaranteed: the Governor may propose an appropriation, but the bill does not require one.
• Eligibility and priority rules do not ensure grants will go to every post that needs an AED; funding and award amounts are unspecified.
• The bill does not say whether AEDs must be accessible to the public, or how they should be maintained and kept ready for use.