Poison Center Network Enhancement Act of 2018
This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize for FY2020-FY2024 and revise the national toll-free phone number, public awareness campaign, and grant program relating to poison control centers. Among other changes, the bill:
[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5329 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5329
To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize and enhance the
poison center national toll-free number, national media campaign, and
grant program, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 19, 2018
Mrs. Brooks of Indiana (for herself, Mr. Engel, Mr. Barton, and Ms.
DeGette) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize and enhance the
poison center national toll-free number, national media campaign, and
grant program, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Poison Center Network Enhancement
Act of 2018''.
SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF POISON CONTROL CENTERS NATIONAL TOLL-FREE
NUMBER.
Section 1271 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300d-71)
is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 1271. ESTABLISHMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF THE NATIONAL TOLL-FREE
NUMBER AND ENHANCED COMMUNICATIONS CAPABILITIES.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall provide coordination and
assistance to poison control centers, and to nationally recognized
professional organizations in the field of poison control for--
``(1) the development, establishment, implementation, and
maintenance of a nationwide toll-free phone number; and
``(2) the enhancement of communications capabilities, such
as text capabilities.
``(b) Consultation.--The Secretary shall consult with nationally
recognized professional organizations in the field of poison control to
determine the best and most effective means of achieving the goals
described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a).
``(c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be
construed to restrict the work of poison control centers or the use of
their resources by the Secretary or other governmental agencies in
assisting with public health emergencies, responses, or preparedness.
``(d) Proper Standards for the Routing of Poison Control Center
Contacts.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of
the Poison Center Network Enhancement Act of 2018, the Federal
Communications Commission, in consultation with the Secretary, shall
take all actions necessary to ensure that contacts with the nationwide
toll-free number supported under subsection (a)(1) are routed to the
geographically proper poison control center based on the physical
location of the person attempting to reach the poison control center,
rather than based on the area code of the contact device.
``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $700,000 for each of fiscal
years 2020 through 2024.''.
SEC. 3. REAUTHORIZATION OF NATIONWIDE PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN TO
PROMOTE POISON CONTROL CENTER UTILIZATION.
Section 1272 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300d-72)
is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 1272. NATIONWIDE PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE POISON
CONTROL CENTER UTILIZATION AND THEIR PUBLIC HEALTH
EMERGENCY RESPONSE CAPABILITIES.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall--
``(1) carry out, and expand upon, a national public
awareness campaign to educate the public and health care
providers about--
``(A) poisoning and toxic exposure prevention;
``(B) the availability of poison control center
resources in local communities;
``(C) poison control center drug information and
misuse intervention; and
``(D) poison control center public health emergency
response capabilities; and
``(2) as part of such campaign, highlight the nationwide
toll-free number and enhanced communications capabilities
supported under section 1271.
``(b) Consultation.--In carrying out and expanding upon the
national campaign under subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult
with nationally recognized professional organizations in the field of
poison control response for the purpose of determining the best and
most effective methods for achieving public awareness.
``(c) Contract With Entity.--The Secretary may carry out subsection
(a) by entering into contracts with one or more public or private
entities, including nationally recognized professional organizations in
the field of poison control and national media firms, for the
development and implementation of the awareness campaign under
subsection (a), which may include--
``(1) the development and distribution of poisoning and
toxic exposure prevention, poison control center, and public
health emergency awareness and response materials;
``(2) television, radio, internet, and newspaper public
service announcements; and
``(3) other means and activities to provide for public and
professional awareness and education.
``(d) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall--
``(1) establish baseline measures and benchmarks to
quantitatively evaluate the impact of the nationwide public
awareness campaign carried out under this section; and
``(2) on an annual basis, prepare and submit to the
appropriate committees of Congress an evaluation of the
nationwide public awareness campaign.
``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section, $800,000 for each of fiscal
years 2020 through 2024.''.
SEC. 4. REAUTHORIZATION OF THE POISON CONTROL CENTER GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Section 1273 of the Public Health Service Act (42
U.S.C. 300d-73) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 1273. MAINTENANCE OF THE POISON CONTROL CENTER GRANT PROGRAM.
``(a) Authorization of Program.--The Secretary shall award grants
to poison control centers accredited under subsection (c) (or granted a
waiver under subsection (d)) and nationally recognized professional
organizations in the field of poison control for the purposes of--
``(1) preventing, and providing treatment recommendations
for, poisonings and toxic exposures including opioid and drug
misuse;
``(2) assisting with public health emergencies, responses,
and preparedness; and
``(3) complying with the operational requirements needed to
sustain the accreditation of the center under subsection (c).
``(b) Additional Uses of Funds.--In addition to the purposes
described in subsection (a), a poison center or professional
organization awarded a grant under such subsection may also use amounts
received under such grant--
``(1) to research, establish, implement, and evaluate best
practices in the United States for poisoning prevention, poison
control center outreach, opioid and drug misuse information and
response, and public health emergency, response, and
preparedness programs;
``(2) to research, develop, implement, revise, and
communicate standard patient management guidelines for commonly
encountered toxic exposures;
``(3) to improve national toxic exposure and opioid misuse
surveillance by enhancing cooperative activities between poison
control centers in the United States and the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention and other governmental agencies;
``(4) to research, improve, and enhance the communications
and response capability and capacity of the Nation's network of
poison control centers to facilitate increased access to the
centers through the integration and modernization of the
current poison control centers communications and data system,
including enhancing the network's telephony, internet, data,
and social networking technologies;
``(5) to develop, support, and enhance technology and
capabilities of nationally recognized professional
organizations in the field of poison control to collect
national poisoning, toxic occurrence, and related public health
data;
``(6) to develop initiatives to foster the enhanced public
health utilization of national poison data collected by such
organizations;
``(7) to support and expand the toxicologic expertise
within poison control centers; and
``(8) to improve the capacity of poison control centers to
answer high volumes of contacts and internet communications,
and to sustain and enhance the poison control center's network
capability to respond during times of national crisis or other
public health emergencies.
``(c) Accreditation.--
``(1) In general.--Except as provided in subsection (d),
the Secretary may award a grant to a poison control center
under subsection (a) only if--
``(A) the center has been accredited by a
nationally recognized professional organization in the
field of poison control, and the Secretary has approved
the organization as having in effect standards for
accreditation that reasonably provide for--
``(i) the protection of the public health
with respect to poisoning; and
``(ii) the maintenance of the related
capabilities listed in subsection (a); or
``(B) the center has been accredited by a State
government, and the Secretary has approved the State
government as having in effect standards for
accreditation that reasonably provide for--
``(i) the protection of the public health
with respect to poisoning; and
``(ii) the maintenance of the related
capabilities listed in subsection (a).
``(2) Annual report to congress.--The Secretary shall
annually submit a report to Congress that certifies that the
accreditation standards described in subparagraphs (A) and (B)
of paragraph (1)--
``(A) are consistent in their content; and
``(B) provide for the protection of the public
health with respect to poisoning and the maintenance of
the related capabilities listed in subsection (a).
``(d) Waiver of Accreditation Requirements.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary may grant a waiver of the
accreditation requirements of subsection (c) with respect to a
nonaccredited poison control center that applies for a grant
under this section if such center can reasonably demonstrate
that the center will obtain such an accreditation within a
reasonable period of time as determined appropriate by the
Secretary.
``(2) Renewal.--The Secretary may renew a waiver under
paragraph (1).
``(3) Limitation.--In no case may the sum of the number of
years for a waiver under paragraph (1) and a renewal under
paragraph (2) exceed 5 years.
``(e) Supplement Not Supplant.--Amounts made available to a poison
control center under this section shall be used to supplement and not
supplant other Federal, State, or local funds provided for such center.
``(f) Maintenance of Effort.--A poison control center, in utilizing
the proceeds of a grant under this section, shall maintain the annual
recurring expenditures of the center for its activities at a level that
is not less than 80 percent of the average level of such recurring
expenditures maintained by the center for the preceding 3 fiscal years
for which a grant is received.
``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section, $29,600,000 for each of fiscal
years 2020 through 2024. The Secretary may utilize an amount not to
exceed 6 percent of the amount appropriated pursuant to the preceding
sentence for each fiscal year for coordination, dissemination,
technical assistance, program evaluation, data activities, and other
program administration functions, which are determined by the Secretary
to be appropriate for carrying out the program under this section.''.
(b) Applicability.--Section 1273 of the Public Health Service Act,
as amended by subsection (a), applies beginning on October 1, 2019.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Mr. Walden moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H5057-5059)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 5329.
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H5057-5058)
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On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H5057-5058)
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.