Statewide Trauma Kits Requirement Heads to Governor Newsom

(Sacramento, CA) – Assembly Bill (AB) 70, authored by Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez (D – Pomona), officially passed both houses of the State Legislature and is off to Governor Newsom for his signature. AB 70 would require certain public and private buildings that undergo renovations or modifications with costs exceeding $100,000 to install and maintain six trauma kits on their premises, placed next to an automated external defibrillator (AED).

“As Chair of the Emergency Management Committee and a career Emergency Medical Technician for over 35 years, I am committed to ensuring all Californians are prepared for every type of disaster, including mass casualty events and sudden bleeding. Having trauma kits available for bystanders to serve as immediate responders during a mass bleeding incident will increase a victim’s chance of survival, ultimately saving lives,” stated Assemblymember Rodriguez.

Last year, Governor Newsom signed AB 2260 (Rodriguez, Chapter 556, Statutes of 2022) into law. This legislation now requires the placement of trauma kits in similar new construction buildings. AB 70 would expand the accessibility of trauma kits in more California buildings.

A Study found that patients arriving at a hospital with a tourniquet for an injury to an extremity blood vessel were nearly 6x more likely to survive compared with those who did not have a tourniquet. AB 70 will ensure more tourniquets are available in trauma kits statewide to better equip Californians with this life-saving tool. 

“Having more than 30 years of experience as a first responder, I know how quickly someone suffering blood loss can lose their life. As every second counts, it is critical to properly train and equip bystanders to ‘STOP THE BLEED.’ AB 70 does just that, and I thank my colleagues for their support of this life-saving legislation,” added Assemblymember Rodriguez.

Assemblymember Rodriguez (Linktree) represents the 53rd Assembly District which includes the cities of Chino, Montclair, Ontario, Pomona, and Upland. He is Chair of the Assembly Committee on Emergency Management.