Mason Sells Act: Georgia bill requires AED registration with 911

Georgia passes Mason Sells Act for AEDs

The Georgia House unanimously passed the Mason Sells Act to require AED registration with 911 dispatchers after a Mercer student's tragic death.

ATLANTA - The Georgia House passed the "Mason Sells Act," named in honor of a Mercer University student who suffered fatal cardiac arrest in 2024.

What we know:

In September 2024, 20-year-old Mercer University student Mason Sells was playing soccer when he suffered a sudden cardiac arrest.

A nearby automated external defibrillator (AED) was located in a nearby building, but its location was unknown to those on the scene.

Despite the proximity of life-saving technology, Mason did not survive.

'The Mason Sells Act'

The tragedy revealed a major loophole in emergency response: 911 dispatchers often have no way of knowing where private or semi-private AEDs are located. This bipartisan legislation was crafted to ensure that "nearby" help is actually "accessible" help.

By requiring AED owners to notify emergency medical services and 911 of a device's specific location, the "Mason Sells Act" puts those life-saving tools directly into dispatchers' hands. This allows operators to guide callers to the nearest device in real-time, when every second counts.

What's next:

The bill now heads to Governor Kemp's desk for his signature.