[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 34 (Monday, February 25, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H2052-H2053]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
POISON CENTER NETWORK ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2019
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 501) 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.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 501
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 2019''.
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 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, 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 2020 through 2024.''.
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;
``(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
[[Page H2053]]
Control Network Enhancement Act of 2019, 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 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.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Engel) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta) each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.
General Leave
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on H.R. 501.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 501, the Poison Center
Network Enhancement Act.
This bill, which I have coauthored with the gentlewoman from Indiana,
Congresswoman Susan Brooks, reauthorizes for an additional 5 years the
national network of poison control centers, known as PCCs, which play 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. Some 330
million people are served by these critical centers, while handling 2.6
million cases.
In 2017, someone called a poison center roughly every 12 seconds in
our country. More than 90 percent of those calls were due to poison
exposure in someone's home, and more than half of all cases involved
children under the age of 12. That is why speedy access to poison
centers is such an invaluable resource, especially for parents.
Poison centers also save hundreds of millions in Federal dollars by
helping to avoid the unnecessary use of medical services and shortening
the length of time a person spends in the hospital, if hospitalization
due to poisoning is 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 handled nearly 200 cases per day involving
opioid misuse. Data from poison centers helped to detect trends in the
epidemic, and experts helped educate Americans about the crisis in ways
that 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.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Brooks for partnering with me on
this legislation, as well as Congresswoman DeGette and Congresswoman
Herrera Beutler for being original cosponsors. Let me also thank
Chairman Pallone and Ranking Member Walden for their assistance in
bringing this bill to the floor today.
As I mentioned earlier, in Westchester County, New York, much 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 in New York City.
We must do more to end this epidemic, and I am pleased to see this
legislation moving forward as part of that effort.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this bill, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support of H.R. 501,
the Poison Center Network Enhancement Act of 2019, introduced by
Representatives Brooks and Engel.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my Committee on Energy and Commerce colleagues
for their bipartisan work on this important initiative.
This legislation will reauthorize the national toll-free number,
public awareness campaign, and grant program that supports the Nation's
55 poison centers.
These centers are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide
free and confidential assistance with emergencies and other information
to help prevent poisoning. As of January 2019, poison control centers
have managed over 4,000 opioid exposure cases alone.
At a time when our Nation is still fighting to overcome an opioid
crisis, these centers are on the front lines, helping to save
individuals who overdose. Furthermore, these centers collect real-time
data, enhancing public health surveillance and aiding in the detection
of public health emergencies.
Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this bill, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 501, the Poison
Center Network Enhancement Act.
This important bill, introduced by Reps. Eliot Engel, Susan Brooks,
Jaime Herrera Beutler, and Diana DeGette, reauthorizes the national
network of Poison Control Centers.
The nation's network of poison control centers offers free,
confidential, and expert medical advice and often serves as the primary
resource for poisoning information. These centers help reduce Emergency
Room visits through in-home treatment and their lifesaving assistance
helps prevent unnecessary poisoning deaths and injuries.
Poison control centers are also essential to combating the opioid
crisis because not only are these centers often the first resource
people seek after an opioid overdose occurs, but they also collect real
time data to alert impacted communities about opioid abuse and misuse.
Last Congress, Rep. Brooks led similar legislation, which passed this
House by voice vote and was then included in the House-passed version
of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, our broad legislative
package to combat the opioid crisis. Unfortunately, after negotiations
with the Senate, this language was not included in the final package
that was signed into law.
Therefore, I'd like to commend Rep. Engel and Rep. Brooks for their
continued leadership on this bipartisan legislation in helping to bring
this bill to the floor today, and I urge passage.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 501.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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