[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 115 (Wednesday, September 8, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10626-S10627]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  PROVIDING ASSISTANCE FOR POISON PREVENTION AND FUNDING OF REGIONAL 
                         POISON CENTERS--S. 632

  On August 5, 1999, the Senate passed S. 632, as follows:

                                 S. 632

       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 Control Center 
     Enhancement and Awareness Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) Each year more than 2,000,000 poisonings are reported 
     to poison control centers throughout the United States. More 
     than 90 percent of these poisonings happen in the home. 53 
     percent of poisoning victims are children younger than 6 
     years of age.
       (2) Poison control centers are a valuable national resource 
     that provide life-saving and cost-effective public health 
     services. For every dollar spent on poison control centers, 
     $7 in medical costs are saved. The average cost of a 
     poisoning exposure call is $32, while the average cost if 
     other parts of the medical system are involved is $932. Over 
     the last 2 decades, the instability and lack of funding has 
     resulted in a steady decline in the number of poison control 
     centers in the United States. Within just the last year, 2 
     poison control centers have been forced to close because of 
     funding problems. A third poison control center is scheduled 
     to close in April 1999. Currently, there are 73 such centers.
       (3) Stabilizing the funding structure and increasing 
     accessibility to poison control centers will increase the 
     number of United States residents who have access to a 
     certified poison control center, and reduce the inappropriate 
     use of emergency medical services and other more costly 
     health care services.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITION.

       In this Act, the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
     Health and Human Services.

     SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL TOLL-FREE NUMBER.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary shall provide coordination 
     and assistance to regional poison control centers for the 
     establishment of a nationwide toll-free phone number to be 
     used to access such centers.
       (b) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
     construed as prohibiting the establishment or continued 
     operation of any privately funded nationwide toll-free phone 
     number used to provide advice and other assistance for 
     poisonings or accidental exposures.
       (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this section, $2,000,000 for 
     each of the fiscal years 2000 through 2004. Funds 
     appropriated under this subsection shall not be used to fund 
     any toll-free phone number described in subsection (b).

     SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONWIDE MEDIA CAMPAIGN.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish a national 
     media campaign to educate the public and health care 
     providers about poison prevention and the availability of 
     poison control resources in local communities and to conduct 
     advertising campaigns concerning the nationwide toll-free 
     number established under section 4.
       (b) Contract With Entity.--The Secretary may carry out 
     subsection (a) by entering into contracts with 1 or more 
     nationally recognized media firms for the development and 
     distribution of monthly television, radio, and newspaper 
     public service announcements.
       (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this section, $600,000 for 
     each of the fiscal years 2000 through 2004.

     SEC. 6. ESTABLISHMENT OF A GRANT PROGRAM.

       (a) Regional Poison Control Centers.--The Secretary shall 
     award grants to certified regional poison control centers for 
     the purposes of achieving the financial stability of such 
     centers, and for preventing and providing treatment 
     recommendations for poisonings.
       (b) Other Improvements.--The Secretary shall also use 
     amounts received under this section to--
       (1) develop standard education programs;
       (2) develop standard patient management protocols for 
     commonly encountered toxic exposures;
       (3) improve and expand the poison control data collection 
     systems;
       (4) improve national toxic exposure surveillance; and
       (5) expand the physician/medical toxicologist supervision 
     of poison control centers.
       (c) Certification.--Except as provided in subsection (d), 
     the Secretary may make a grant to a center under subsection 
     (a) only if--
       (1) the center has been certified by a professional 
     organization in the field of poison control, and the 
     Secretary has approved the organization as having in effect 
     standards for certification that reasonably provide for the 
     protection of the public health with respect to poisoning; or
       (2) the center has been certified by a State government, 
     and the Secretary has approved the State government as having 
     in effect standards for certification that reasonably provide 
     for the protection of the public health with respect to 
     poisoning.
       (d) Waiver of Certification Requirements.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary may grant a waiver of the 
     certification requirement of subsection (c) with respect to a 
     noncertified poison control center or a newly established 
     center that applies for a grant under this section if such 
     center can reasonably demonstrate that the center will obtain 
     such a certification within a reasonable period of time as 
     determined appropriate by the Secretary.
       (2) Renewal.--The Secretary may only renew a waiver under 
     paragraph (1) for a period of 3 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.

[[Page S10627]]

       (f) Maintenance of Effort.--A poison control center, in 
     utilizing the proceeds of a grant under this section, shall 
     maintain the expenditures of the center for activities of the 
     center at a level that is not less than the level of such 
     expenditures maintained by the center for the fiscal year 
     preceding the fiscal year for which the grant is received.
       (g) Matching Requirement.--The Secretary may impose a 
     matching requirement with respect to amounts provided under a 
     grant under this section if the Secretary determines 
     appropriate.
       (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this section, $25,000,000 for 
     each of the fiscal years 2000 through 2004.

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