The Rhode Island General Assembly approved a bill last fall mandating that public places in Rhode Island capable of holding 300 or more people have an automated external defibrillator (AED) and a qualified person to administer it.

"Defibrillators save lives," said Senator Maryellen Goodwin. "They are safe, relatively inexpensive and easy to use, providing users automated guidance to help them use them effectively while waiting for emergency responders to arrive. Keeping them handy where big crowds gather greatly serves public health in Rhode Island, and could very well mean the difference between a tragedy and a life that is saved.