Bill 141

Defibrillator Registration and Public Access Act, 2020

Bill 141, the Defibrillator Registration and Public Access Act, 2020, is a proposed legislation in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada. The purpose of this bill is to establish a province-wide registry of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public places, and to require public access to AEDs in certain establishments.

If passed, the bill would require certain organizations, including schools, sports facilities, and retirement homes, to have at least one AED on site and to register it with the province's AED registry. It would also provide liability protection to individuals who use AEDs in good faith to assist someone experiencing cardiac arrest.

Status: September 2021, the bill had passed its second reading and was referred to the Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Bills for further review.

“Each year, approximately 7,000 Ontarians will experience cardiac arrest. Up to 85 per cent of cardiac arrests occur at home or in public places. Almost half of cardiac arrests are witnessed by a family member or friend. When used in conjunction with CPR in the first few minutes after a cardiac arrest, defibrillation can dramatically improve cardiac arrest survival rates by more than 50 per cent. Ensuring that automated external defibrillators are available to members of the public may prevent tragedies from occurring.”