WASHINGTON, DC: The American College of Surgeons (ACS) strongly supports bipartisan legislation introduced today in the U.S. Senate that would expand access to STOP THE BLEED® kits for states, tribal territories, and local governments.
The American Law Enforcement Sustaining Aid and Vital Emergency Resources Act (American Law Enforcement SAVER Act) (S.2644) would help ensure law enforcement and first responders have access to lifesaving supplies in a bleeding emergency. The bill, introduced today by Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-NY), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Chris Coons (D-DE), would allow for the purchase STOP THE BLEED® kits and supplies using funds from the Edward J. Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program (Byrne JAG).
“This legislation ensures that the tools necessary to save lives will be available when minutes matter. The ACS thanks Sens. Cornyn, Whitehouse, Tillis, and Coons for their leadership in making it possible for more first responders to have access to STOP THE BLEED® kits to protect their communities,” said Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS, Executive Director & CEO of the ACS.
About the Byrne JAG Grant
The Byrne JAG grant is administered by the U.S. Department of Justice and provides federal money to state, local, and tribal jurisdictions for “criminal justice” purposes. The American Law Enforcement SAVER Act would expand the potential use of Byrne JAG funds to also include the purchase of STOP THE BLEED® Kits.
The bill would require kits purchased with these funds to include a Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care-recommended tourniquet and instructional materials developed by stakeholders including the ACS Committee on Trauma. Further, the bill directs the Department of Justice to work with stakeholder organizations to establish standards for trauma kits and provide best practices for law enforcement agencies on how to best use the kits.
The Importance of STOP THE BLEED®
The STOP THE BLEED® program empowers anyone to become an immediate responder and potentially save a life in a bleeding emergency. Through STOP THE BLEED® training, participants learn to control bleeding in three ways: apply direct pressure, pack the wound, and apply a tourniquet. Similar to the widespread placement of AEDs, easy access to a STOP THE BLEED® kit could be the difference between life and death in an emergency.
STOP THE BLEED® was launched in October of 2015 by the White House, with a call to action to make our nation more resilient and to begin training more people to become immediate responders during a bleeding emergency until professional help arrives. The ACS STOP THE BLEED® program is operated under a licensing agreement granted by the Department of Defense. More than 3 million people have participated in ACS STOP THE BLEED® training.
For more information on training or to purchase personal kits, visit the ACS’ STOP THE BLEED® website.
Read the ACS letter in support of this legislation.
