[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 97 (Tuesday, June 12, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H5057-H5059]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             POISON CENTER NETWORK ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2018

  Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (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, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5329

       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 for--
       ``(1) the development, establishment, implementation, and 
     maintenance of a nationwide toll-free phone number; and
       ``(2) the enhancement of communications capabilities, which 
     may include text capabilities.
       ``(b) Consultation.--The Secretary may 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.--In assisting with public 
     health emergencies, responses, or preparedness, 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.
       ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this section $700,000 for 
     each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.''.

     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, toxic exposure, and drug misuse 
     prevention; and
       ``(B) the availability of poison control center resources 
     in local communities; 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 may 
     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 a biennial 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 2019 through 2023.''.

     SEC. 4. REAUTHORIZATION OF THE POISON CONTROL CENTER GRANT 
                   PROGRAM.

       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;

[[Page H5058]]

       ``(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.--Except as provided in subsection (d), 
     the Secretary may award a grant to a poison control center 
     under subsection (a) only if--
       ``(1) 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 the protection of the public health with respect 
     to poisoning; or
       ``(2) 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 the protection of the public health with respect to 
     poisoning.
       ``(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.--The Secretary may not, after the date of 
     enactment of the Poison Control Network Enhancement Act of 
     2018, grant to a poison control center waivers or renewals 
     that total more than 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, $28,600,000 for 
     each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023. 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.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Oregon (Mr. Walden) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oregon.


                             General Leave

  Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
to insert extraneous material into the Record on the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Oregon?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 5329, the Poison Center Network 
Enhancement Act. This is legislation that will reauthorize the national 
network of poison control centers.

                              {time}  1645

  Poison control centers are on the front lines of the opioid crisis. 
They offer free, confidential, expert medical advice 24 hours a day, 7 
days a week. By reauthorizing this essential system resource, we will 
help reduce visits to the emergency rooms and save countless lives.
  I want to thank the leadership of Representative Susan Brooks and 
Eliot Engel, my colleagues, along with Representatives Joe Barton and 
Diana DeGette, who worked hard on this legislation to get it right and 
get it to the floor in a bipartisan manner and, I would dare say, out 
of committee in a unanimous vote.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman 
from Indiana (Mrs. Brooks), a leader in this effort.
  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my 
colleagues to pass H.R. 5329, the Poison Center Network Enhancement Act 
of 2018, a bill that reauthorizes the national network of poison 
control centers, as we have heard, that offers free, confidential, 
expert medical advice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
  We heard during an Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing 
that this past summer the Georgia poison control center was the first 
public health entity to detect and respond to a deadly opioid outbreak 
where yellow pills were being sold, stamped with the brand Percocet 
that, in fact, contained substances chemically similar to fentanyl. 
Without calls to poison control centers to report this drug, these 
pills could have gone undetected indefinitely.
  Poison control centers are fielding almost 192 cases a day of opioid 
abuse and misuse. In 1 month alone, there were 9,039 opioid exposures 
related to poison control centers nationwide. They are essential in 
combating the opioid crisis because these are the centers that compile 
the data that can be used to discover hotspots for opioid abuse and 
misuse and save lives.
  I want to thank all my colleagues, especially Representative Engel, 
Representative DeGette, and Representative Barton, who have been strong 
voices, as well as Chairman Walden and Ranking Member Pallone, for 
supporting this and so many other impactful bills.
  On behalf, most importantly, of the 1,526 Hoosiers who have died of 
an opioid overdose in 2016, I want to urge my colleagues to pass H.R. 
5329.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5329, the Poison Center 
Network Enhancement Act.
  I want to thank Mr. Engel, the Democratic sponsor, for his 
leadership.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5329, the Poison Center 
Network Enhancement Act.
  This legislation reauthorizes the Health Resources and Services 
Administration's (HRSA) Poison Control Center program.
  Poison control centers provide essential support to the public and 
healthcare providers nationwide.
  They assist with guiding the public to appropriate medical care and 
advise physicians and other healthcare providers on the appropriate 
medical management whenever an exposure to a poison has occurred.
  There are over 70 Poison control centers in the U.S and U.S. 
Territories and they serve a vital role in our emergency 
infrastructure, operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
  The centers handle calls concerning over 430,000 different 
substances, but in recent years have seen a huge increase in calls 
related to opioid exposure.
  Receive nearly 200 consults per day on opioid related exposures 
alone.
  There is no doubt that Poison control centers play a role in fighting 
the national opioid epidemic.
  I support this legislation and continuation of the great work our 
nation's Poison Control centers do.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from New York (Mr. Engel).
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from New Jersey for 
yielding, and I rise in strong support of H.R. 5329, the Poison Center 
Network Enhancement Act.
  I remember when I was a little boy, my mother used to have a poison 
control number that she taped to the medicine chest so that, if there 
was ever a tragedy or a problem, we could call the number quickly. This 
is obviously along those same lines. That is why it is so important for 
the American people to have this.
  I want to thank Congresswoman Susan Brooks. I coauthored the bill 
with her. I want to thank her for her hard work. It reauthorizes, for 
an additional 5 years, as the gentlewoman just said, the nationwide 
network of poison control centers, which are playing a critical role in 
the fight to end the opioid crisis.
  Our country's 55 poison centers are staffed by trained toxicologists, 
pharmacists, physicians, and nurses who are available 24 hours a day, 7 
days a week, 365 days a year, to provide real-time, lifesaving 
assistance via a national toll-free number, which is 1-800-222-1222.
  In 2016, someone in this country called the poison center roughly 
every 12 seconds. So it shows you that it is being utilized and it 
saves lives. More than 90 percent of those calls were due to a poison 
exposure in someone's home. More than half of all cases involved 
children under the age of 12.

[[Page H5059]]

That is why speedy access to poison centers is such an invaluable 
resource and so important, especially for parents.
  Poison centers are also saving hundreds of millions in Federal 
dollars by helping to avoid the unnecessary use of medical services and 
shortening the amount of time a person spends in the hospital, if 
hospitalization due to poisoning becomes necessary.
  It is clear that these centers are a smart public health investment, 
but they are also an integral part of our response to the opioid 
epidemic.
  Since 2011, poison centers have handled nearly 200 cases per day in 
this country involving opioid misuse. Data from poison centers has 
helped detect trends in the epidemic, and experts have helped educate 
Americans about the crisis and ways they could potentially save the 
lives of their loved ones.
  The Upstate New York Poison Center, for instance, used the New York 
State Fair to educate New Yorkers about proper use of naloxone, the 
overdose reversal drug. This bill would make sure that activities like 
this can continue.
  Mr. Speaker, I had the privilege of coauthoring the last poison 
center reauthorization signed into law in 2014, and I am pleased to 
have worked on this important bill.
  Again, I want to thank Congresswoman Brooks for partnering with me on 
this legislation, as well as Congresswoman DeGette and Congressman 
Barton for being original cosponsors. Let me also thank Chairman 
Burgess, Ranking Member Green, Chairman Walden, and Ranking Member 
Pallone for their assistance in bringing this bill to the floor today.
  As I mentioned earlier, in Westchester County, part of which I 
represent, 124 people died due to opioids in 2016. In the Bronx, part 
of which I also represent, more New Yorkers died of overdoses than in 
any other borough of the city of New York.
  We must do more to end this epidemic, and I am proud to see this 
legislation moving forward as part of that effort, again, in a 
bipartisan manner. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers. I urge my 
colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, this is more important bipartisan 
legislation moving forward. I have no other speakers. I would encourage 
passage of the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 5329, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________