Virginia law: § 59.1-296.2:2
Statute: § 59.1-296.2:2
Law Type: Other Requirements
Status: Enacted
Enacted on: 2020-04-09
Law type: Mandate
Summary:
1 VIRGINIA ACTS OF ASSEMBLY –– CHAPTER
2 An Act to amend and reenact § 59.1-296 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by
3 adding a section numbered 59.1-296.2:2, relating to Virginia Health Club Act; automated external
4 defibrillators required in health clubs.
5 [S 394]
6 Approved
7 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
8 1. That § 59.1-296 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted and that the Code of Virginia
9 is amended by adding a section numbered 59.1-296.2:2 as follows:
10 § 59.1-296. Definitions.
11 As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:
12 "Automated external defibrillator" means a device that combines a heart monitor and defibrillator
13 and (i) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; (ii) is capable of recognizing the
14 presence or absence of ventricular fibrillation or rapid ventricular tachycardia; (iii) is capable of
15 determining, without intervention by an operator, whether defibrillation should be performed; and (iv)
16 automatically charges and requests delivery of an electrical impulse to an individual's heart upon
17 determining that defibrillation should be performed.
18 "Business day" means any day except a Sunday or a legal holiday.
19 "Buyer" means a natural person who enters into a health club contract.
20 "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services, or a member of his
21 staff to whom he may delegate his duties under this chapter.
22 "Comparable alternate facility" means a health club facility that is reasonably of like kind, in nature
23 and quality, to the health club facility originally contracted, whether such facility is in the same location
24 but owned or operated by a different health club or is at another location of the same health club.
25 "Contract price" means the sum of the initiation fee, if any, and all monthly fees except interest
26 required by the health club contract.
27 "Facility" means a location where health club services are offered as designated in a health club
28 contract.
29 "Health club" means any person, firm, corporation, organization, club or association whose primary
30 purpose is to engage in the sale of memberships in a program consisting primarily of physical exercise
31 with exercise machines or devices, or whose primary purpose is to engage in the sale of the right or
32 privilege to use exercise machines or devices. The term "health club" shall not include the following: (i)
33 bona fide nonprofit organizations, including, but not limited to, the Young Men's Christian Association,
34 Young Women's Christian Association, or similar organizations whose functions as health clubs are only
35 incidental to their overall functions and purposes; (ii) any private club owned and operated by its
36 members; (iii) any organization primarily operated for the purpose of teaching a particular form of
37 self-defense such as judo or karate; (iv) any facility owned or operated by the United States; (v) any
38 facility owned or operated by the Commonwealth of Virginia or any of its political subdivisions; (vi)
39 any nonprofit public or private school or institution of higher education; (vii) any club providing tennis
40 or swimming facilities located in a residential planned community or subdivision, developed in
41 conjunction with the development of such community or subdivision, and deriving at least 80 percent of
42 its membership from residents of such community or subdivision; and (viii) any facility owned and
43 operated by a private employer exclusively for the benefit of its employees, retirees, and family
44 members and which facility is only incidental to the overall functions and purposes of the employer's
45 business and is operated on a nonprofit basis.
46 "Health club contract" means an agreement whereby the buyer of health club services purchases, or
47 becomes obligated to purchase, health club services.
48 "Health club services" means and includes services, privileges, or rights offered for sale or provided
49 by a health club.
50 "Initiation fee" means a nonrecurring fee charged at or near the beginning of a health club
51 membership, and includes all fees or charges not part of the monthly fee.
52 "Monthly fee" means the total consideration, including but not limited to, equipment or locker rental,
53 credit check, finance, medical and dietary evaluation, class and training fees, and all other similar fees
54 or charges and interest, but excluding any initiation fee, to be paid by a buyer, divided by the total
55 number of months of health club service use allowed by the buyer's contract, including months or time
56 periods called "free" or "bonus" months or time periods and such months or time periods that are
ENROLLED SB394ER
2 of 2
57 described in any other terms suggesting that they are provided free of charge, which months or time
58 periods are given or contemplated when the contract is initially executed.
59 "Out of business" means the status of a facility that is permanently closed and for which there is no
60 comparable alternate facility.
61 "Prepayment" means payment of any consideration for services or the use of facilities made prior to
62 the day on which the services or facilities of the health club are fully open and available for regular use
63 by the members.
64 "Relocation" means the provision of health club services by the health club that entered into the
65 membership contract at a location other than that designated in the member's contract.
66 § 59.1-296.2:2. Automated external defibrillator required.
67 Each health club location shall have a working automated external defibrillator
We make every attempt to ensure the accuracy of our research regarding automated external defibrillator (AED) unit laws in each state across the country, however, with laws varying from state-to-state and even on a local basis, as you might imagine, staying abreast of constant changes is a very challenging process. As such, it's important to note that our findings should be used for informational purposes only and that any specific AED laws or AED requirements for your AED program should be developed between you and your legal counsel. If you have any suggestions, information, or tips on new or pending AED unit legislation that you feel might help improve our AED requirement pages, please contact us to let us know! By spreading knowledge about how to build and manage legally compliant AED programs, we hope to improve survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest.