[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 91 (Wednesday, June 4, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H4896-H4899]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
POISON CENTER SUPPORT, ENHANCEMENT, AND AWARENESS ACT OF 2008
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules
and pass the bill (H.R. 5669) to amend the Public Health Service Act to
reauthorize the poison center national toll-free number, national media
campaign, and grant program to provide assistance for poison
prevention, sustain the funding of poison centers, and enhance the
public health of people of the United States.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5669
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 Support,
Enhancement, and Awareness Act of 2008''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Poison centers are the primary defense of the United
States against injury and deaths from poisoning. Twenty-four
hours a day, the general public as well as health care
practitioners contact their local poison centers for help in
diagnosing and treating victims of poisoning. In 2007, more
than 4 million calls were managed by poison centers providing
ready and direct access for all people of the United States,
including many underserved populations in the United States,
with vital emergency public health information and response.
(2) Poisoning is the second most common form of
unintentional death in the United States. In any given year,
there will be between 3 million and 5 million poison
exposures. Sixty percent of these exposures will involve
children under the age of 6 who are exposed to toxins in
their home. Poisoning accounts for 285,000 hospitalizations,
1.2 million days of acute hospital care, and more than 26,000
fatalities in 2005.
(3) In 2008, the Harvard Injury Control Research Center
reported that poisonings from accidents and unknown
circumstances more than tripled in rate since 1990. In 2005,
the last year for which data are available, 26,858 people
died from accidental or unknown poisonings. This represents
an increase of 20,000 since 1990 and an increase of 2,400
between 2004 and 2005. Fatalities from poisoning are
increasing in the United States in near epidemic proportions.
The funding of programs to reverse this trend is needed now
more than ever.
(4) In 2004, The Institute of Medicine, of the National
Academies recommended that the ``Congress should amend the
current Poison Control Center Enhancement and Awareness Act
Amendments of 2003 to provide sufficient funding to support
the proposed Poison Prevention and Control System with its
national network of poison centers. Support for the core
activities at the current level of service is estimated to
require more than $100 million annually.''.
(5) Sustaining the funding structure and increasing
accessibility to poison control centers will promote the
utilization of poison control centers and reduce the
inappropriate use of emergency medical services and other
more costly health care services. The 2004 Institute of
Medicine Report to Congress determined that for every $1
invested in the Nation's poison centers $7 of health care
costs are saved. In 2005, direct Federal health care program
savings totaled in excess of $525 million as the result of
poison center public health services.
(6) More than 30 percent of the cost savings and financial
benefits of the Nation's network of poison centers are
realized annually by Federal health care programs (estimated
to be more than $1 billion), yet Federal funding support (as
demonstrated by the annual authorization of $30.1 million in
Public Law 108-194) comprises less than 11 percent of the
annual network expenditures of poison centers.
(7) Real-time data collected from the Nation's certified
poison centers can be an important source of information for
the detection, monitoring, and response for contamination of
the air, water, pharmaceutical, or food supply.
(8) In the event of a terrorist event, poison centers will
be relied upon as a critical source for accurate medical
information and public health emergency response concerning
the treatment of patients who have had an exposure to a
chemical, radiological, or biological agent.
SEC. 3. REAUTHORIZATION OF POISON 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. MAINTENANCE OF THE NATIONAL TOLL-FREE NUMBER.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall provide coordination
and assistance to poison centers for the establishment of a
nationwide toll-free phone number, and the maintenance of
such number, to be used to access such centers.
``(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are
authorized to be appropriated $2,000,000 for each of the
fiscal years 2000 through 2009 to carry out this section; and
$1,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2010 through 2014 for
the maintenance of the nationwide toll-free phone number
under subsection (a).''.
SEC. 4. REAUTHORIZATION OF NATIONWIDE MEDIA CAMPAIGN TO
PROMOTE POISON CENTER UTILIZATION.
(a) In General.--Section 1272 of the Public Health Service
Act (42 U.S.C. 300d-72) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 1272. NATIONWIDE MEDIA CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE POISON
CENTER UTILIZATION.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall carry out, and
expand upon, a national media campaign to educate the public
and health care providers about poison prevention and the
availability of poison center resources in local communities
and to conduct advertising campaigns concerning the
nationwide toll-free number established under section
1271(a).
``(b) Contract With Entity.--The Secretary may carry out
subsection (a) by entering into contracts with a nationally
recognized organization in the field of poison
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control for the development and implementation of a
nationwide poison prevention and poison center awareness
campaign, which may include the development and distribution
of poison prevention and poison center awareness materials;
television, radio, Internet, and newspaper public service
announcements; and other means of public and professional
awareness and education.
``(c) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall--
``(1) establish baseline measures and benchmarks to
quantitatively evaluate the impact of the nationwide media
campaign carried out under this section; and
``(2) prepare and submit to the appropriate congressional
committees an evaluation of the nationwide media campaign on
an annual basis.
``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section
$600,000 for each of the fiscal years 2000 through 2005, such
sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2006
through 2009, and $1,500,000 for each of the fiscal years
2010 through 2014.''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by this section
shall be effective as of the date of the enactment of this
Act and shall apply to contracts entered into on or after
January 1, 2009.
SEC. 5. REAUTHORIZATION OF THE POISON 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 CENTER GRANT PROGRAM.
``(a) Authorization of Grant Program.--The Secretary shall
award grants to poison centers certified under subsection (c)
(or granted a waiver under subsection (d)) and professional
organizations in the field of poison control for the purposes
of preventing, and providing treatment recommendations for,
poisonings and complying with the operational requirements
needed to sustain the certification of the center under
subsection (c).
``(b) Additional Uses of Grant 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 such grant for the following
purposes:
``(1) To establish and evaluate best practices in the
United States for poison prevention, poison center outreach,
and emergency 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 surveillance by
enhancing cooperative activities between poison centers in
the United States and the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
``(4) To develop, support, and enhance technology and
capabilities of professional organizations in the field of
poison control to collect national poisoning, toxic
occurrence, and related public health data.
``(5) To develop initiatives to foster the enhanced public
health utilization of national poison data collected by
organizations described in paragraph (4).
``(6) To support and expand the toxicologic expertise
within poison centers.
``(7) To improve the capacity of poison centers to answer
high volumes of calls and respond during times of national
crisis or other public health emergencies.
``(c) Certification.--Except as provided under subsection
(d), the Secretary may make a grant to a poison 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 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 renew a waiver under
paragraph (1).
``(3) Limitation.--In no instance may the sum of the number
of years for a waiver under paragraph (1) and a renewal under
paragraph (2) exceed 5 years. The preceding sentence shall
take effect as of the date of the enactment of the Poison
Center Support, Enhancement, and Awareness Act of 2008.
``(e) Supplement Not Supplant.--Amounts made available to a
poison 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 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 expenditures
maintained by the center for the fiscal year preceding the
fiscal year for which the grant is received.
``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section--
``(1) for each of the fiscal years 2000 through 2004,
$25,000,000;
``(2) for each of the fiscal years 2005 through 2009,
$27,500,000; and
``(3) for each of the fiscal years 2010 through 2014,
$35,000,000, of which $1,500,000 shall be used to award
grants for the purpose described in subsection (b)(4).''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by this section
shall be effective as of the date of the enactment of this
Act and shall apply to grants made on or after January 1,
2009.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Gene Green) and the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Terry) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
General Leave
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5669, the Poison Control
Center Enhancement and Awareness Act, a bill that would provide
assistance for poison prevention, sustain the funding of poison
centers, and enhance the public health of people in the United States.
Unfortunately, poisoning is a significant problem, and according to
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranks second only to motor
vehicle crashes as a cause of unintentional injury or death. The
economic cost of unintentional poisoning is considerable, as poisonings
led to $26 billion in medical expenses.
The bill before us today would reauthorize a poison center national
toll free number, a national media campaign to promote the use of
poison centers, and a grant program to provide assistance for poison
prevention to ensure that unintentional poisonings do not lead to
unintentional injuries or death.
I acknowledge my colleague, Congressman Edolphus Towns, and urge my
colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in support of this
laudable legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1200
Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I would like to thank the Speaker and Mr. Green and the committee for
bringing this forward in such a timely manner.
This is an important act. This bill reflects a bipartisan effort,
strengthened by the leadership of Mr. Towns, who provides the necessary
funding for the poison control centers to continue their lifesaving
work. I must say that in writing this bill, I enjoyed working with Mr.
Towns and his staff and appreciate all of their help and cooperation.
The poison control center located in Omaha is the designated poison
control center for Nebraska, Wyoming, and, amazingly, American Samoa
and the Federated States of Micronesia. It is one of the oldest poison
control centers in the United States, established in 1957. It's one of
fifty-two poison control centers in the United States certified as a
regional poison control center by the American Association of Poison
Control Centers and operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with full
information and treatment capabilities. The majority of funding is
provided by the Nebraska Med Center, Creighton University Medical
Center, and the University of Nebraska.
In 2007, 61 poison control centers located throughout the United
States played a critical role in saving lives by responding to 4
million calls. Poison control centers are staffed by medical
professionals 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. These professionals are
trained with the knowledge needed to assess poison risk, advise
treatment and/or triage patients, recommend a treatment, or refer them
to appropriate medical facilities.
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Poisoning is the second leading form of unintentional death in the
United States, and an estimated 60 percent of those exposures are
experienced by children under the age of 6. Calls received by poison
control centers addressed chemical, biological, and nuclear exposure,
as well as adverse reactions to pesticides, cleaning products, and
other hazardous products.
This bill provides the funding needed to authorize the poison center
national toll-free number, national media campaign, and the State grant
program to provide assistance for poison prevention. This legislation
not only saves lives but saves millions of dollars a year in
preventable medical expenses. A report by the Institute of Medicine
concludes that the Nation's poison control centers yielded $7 in
savings for every $1 invested. In 2005 alone, poison control centers
saved Federal health programs an estimated $525 million.
I encourage my colleagues to examine this bill and join us in support
of this bill and the lifesaving work of poison control centers across
the country.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for
time, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to
close.
As I mentioned in my first statement, my opening statement, this is a
bipartisan effort. Once again, I want to thank Mr. Towns.
I have the floor statement of our ranking member, Joe Barton, who is
also in support of this bill, and I will read in significant part his
statement.
He states: ``As our primary defense against injury and death from
poisoning, poison control centers are a vital part of our health care
system in the United States. Few people realize poisoning is the second
most common form of unintentional death in the United States. In 2005
there were over 26,000 deaths in the United States caused by the
ingestion of poisons that resulted from approximately 5 million
incidents of poison exposure. And without question, the number of
deaths and debilitating injuries resulting from poisoning would be
significantly higher if it weren't for the strong network of poison
centers we already have, and with the passage of the legislation before
us today, I am confident that we can make a great program even
better.''
And thanks to all of the efforts from the members of the Energy and
Commerce Committee in making this a great bipartisan bill.
Mr. Speaker, with that I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
I would like to thank my colleague, who is also a member of the
Energy and Commerce Committee, not only on this bill but on other
health care bills that we're dealing with on a bipartisan basis.
This reauthorization of the poison center national toll-free number
and the media campaign has been a proven success. And since all
politics is local, and since you mentioned the University of Nebraska,
I have to mention the University of Texas Medical Branch that serves as
our poison control publicity and facility, and it's very successful. We
just need to expand it because we still are having deaths from
poisoning, and we need to make sure that toll-free number is utilized
and that information is out there for our community.
Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong
support of H.R. 5669. The Poison control centers provide vital
healthcare services to Americans of all incomes and keep costs from
emergency procedures under control. Through their cost-saving programs,
these centers benefit the general public, the government, health care
providers, public health entities, and insurers.
In my district, Jay Schauben supervises a poison control center at
Shans-Jacksonville hospital that treats a population of approximately
six million. The Florida legislature created this center in 1989 to
address overwhelming needs in the areas of exposure treatment and
education, and Dr. Schauben's team has risen to the challenge and
helped a countless number of my constituents. I would also like to
thank Senator David Karnes, whose tireless support has been a great
help in attaining funding for these important centers. Finally, I would
like to thank Dr. Gerold Schiebler of the University of Florida. Dr.
Schiebler has been active for decades in the campaign for affordable
healthcare and widespread access to poison control services.
With our economy in recession, now is certainly no time to further
limit access to the quality healthcare services, or to tie the hands of
advocates like Dr. Schauben, Senator Karnes, and Dr. Schiebler. So, it
is critically important that poison control centers are reauthorized,
and that these centers receive full funding through Fiscal Year 2014.
A wide variety of Americans benefit from the services poison control
centers provide every day. The general public benefits by receiving
cost-free poisoning prevention guidelines, emergency medical advice,
and follow-up calls about treatment. These services prevent trips to
emergency rooms and keep already outrageous healthcare costs from
rising even further.
I represent one of the poorest districts in the State of Florida, and
I have seen first hand the challenges my constituents face in finding
affordable healthcare. A study group consisting of medical and poison
control experts has found that every dollar spent on poison centers
saves seven dollars in healthcare costs.
Also, poison control centers provide educational programs aimed at
prevention. These programs help educate many uninsured Americans about
means of poison prevention, and keep healthcare costs in the U.S. down
by avoiding emergency room procedures.
In addition to saving low- and middle-income Americans healthcare
dollars, poison control centers provide 24-hour emergency and
informational services via a Toll-Free National Hotline. This hotline
is a vital source of information for many of my constituents, and
Americans across the country, who could not otherwise receive medical
advice or attention. This hotline also provides essential follow-up
calls regarding continuing care of poison exposures.
Without a national hotline, many individuals with known or suspected
toxic exposures would seek significantly more costly and less
accessible healthcare alternatives, such as an emergency room visit.
Simply, the benefits of these centers are widespread, but are
especially helpful to those whose incomes prohibit access to private
health care services. Failure to reauthorize these important centers
would represent a tremendous disservice to Americans in all
Congressional districts.
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5669.
Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5669, the
``Poison Center Support, Enhancement, and Awareness Act of 2008.'' I
would like to thank my friend from New York, Mr. Towns, and, my friend
from Nebraska, Mr. Terry, for introducing this important legislation,
and I want to thank Chairman Dingell and Subcommittee Chairman Pallone
for working in a bipartisan manner as we moved this bill through the
Energy and Commerce Committee.
As our primary defense against injury and death from poisoning,
poison centers are a vital part of our healthcare system in the United
States. Few people realize that poisoning is the second most common
form of unintentional death in the United States. In 2005, there were
over 26,000 deaths in the United States caused by the ingestion of
poisons that resulted from approximately 5 million incidents of poison
exposure. And without question, the number of deaths and debilitating
injuries resulting from poisoning would be significantly higher if it
weren't for the strong network of poison centers we already have, and
with passage of the legislation before us today, I am confident that we
can make a great program even better.
Again, I thank my colleagues for their efforts on this bipartisan
bill.
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5669, the
Poison Center Support, Enhancement, and Awareness Act of 2008, and I
thank the bill's sponsor, Congressman Towns, for his leadership on this
issue. I also want to thank Chairman Pallone and Chairman Dingell for
working to bring this bill before us today.
The poison control centers program has proven to be a very successful
program for communities across the country, by providing a national
toll-free number for poison emergencies, a national media campaign to
promote the use of poison centers, and a poison prevention grant
program.
In my district alone, the Illinois Poison Center handled 7,021 cases
last year. Statewide, 51 percent of the calls the Illinois Poison
Center handled involved children under the age of 5. I just can't
imagine what families would do without this tremendous resource.
Surely, this legislation which will reauthorize this program through
2014 and increase its total authorization to $37.5 million annually
will be money well spent.
Not only do poison centers save lives, they save time and resources
by cost avoidance for patients who are cared for in their homes as
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opposed to visiting a hospital and by reducing lengths of stay for
patients who are cared for by a poison control center prior to arriving
at a hospital.
Again, I thank the bill's sponsor and our Chairmen for their work on
this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to give H.R. 5669 their
support.
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the
balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pastor). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gene Green) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5669.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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