The House voted for bills meant to encourage people to use a defibrillator in an emergency and to ensure Crime Stoppers tips are confidential. The defibrillator bill goes onto the Senate.

Members said they had serious concerns about the Crime Stoppers bill and it will have to be heard tomorrow.

HB 1433: Grants limited immunity from liability lawsuits for people, trained or not, who attempt to save a person in crisis with a portable automatic defibrillator. The bill needed little debate in the House chamber.

Earlier in the session, Rep. Bob England, a physician, used one of the devices to help Rep. Becky Carney, who was having a heart problem.

"We must do what we can to make sure that anyone willing to act as a Good Samaritan has the courage to step forward," said Rep. Alice Bordsen, a Mebane Democrat.

HB 1287: The bill states that the identify of people providing tips to Crime Stoppers is not a public record and is not subject to disclosure in court proceedings.

Reps. Phillip Haire and Rick Glazier said they were concerned the bill could be unconstitutional because of the provisions dealing with court discovery. The bill is expected to be discussed again Wednesday. 

Rep. Becky Carney may be released from the hospital Tuesday.

Carney, a Charlotte Democrat, was re-admitted to the hospital after she developed a fever. Carney had a hybrid pacemaker and defibrillator implanted after she suffered a cardiac arrest Thursday.

House Chaplain Jim Harry said Monday that he spoke to Carney and that she was feeling better.

"She was mad because it was going to be a month before she could golf. Now they've stretched it to 6 to 8 weeks," Harry said.

Harry said that Carney's doctors believe that legislative police officers and Rep. Bob England, an Ellenboro Democrat who is also a physician, saved her life. They administered CPR and a shock from a portable defibrillator shortly after the cardiac arrest.

State Rep. Becky Carney collapsed after suffering a heart problem called arrhythmia Thursday in her office at the legislative building.

She was talking to state Rep. Verla Insko about 4:15 p.m. when she collapsed, said state Rep. Bob England, who is also physician. England was called to the Charlotte Democrat's office.

England said when he arrived, Carney was unresponsive and apparently in full arrest. England and a state Capitol Police officer began administring CPR. England administered a shock from a portable defibrillator. After the shock, Carney was talking and able to answer questions, England said.

"That's a wonderful sign," he said.

Carney, 64, was taken to WakeMed.

Carney is in her fourth term.

UPDATE: A spokesman for House Speaker Joe Hackney said Carney suffered from arrhytmia, which is a disorder of the regular heartbeat that can cause mild annoyance or a life-threatening emergency.

"She's conscious and talking to her family," said Bill Holmes, Hackney's spokesman, Thursday evening.