Part G - Poison Control

42 USC 300d71 - Maintenance 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 2009. Funds appropriated under this subsection shall not be used to fund any toll-free phone number described in subsection (b) of this section.

42 USC 300d72 - Nationwide media campaign to promote poison control center utilization

(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 300d–71 of this title.

(b) Contract with entity
The Secretary may carry out subsection (a) of this section by entering into contracts with one or more nationally recognized media firms for the development and distribution of monthly television, radio, and newspaper public service announcements.

(1) establish baseline measures and benchmarks to quantitatively evaluate the impact of the nationwide media campaign established 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 fiscal years 2000 through 2005 and such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2009.

42 USC 300d73 - Maintenance of the poison control center 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 standardized poison prevention and poison control promotion programs;

(2) develop standard patient management guidelines for commonly encountered toxic exposures;

(3) improve and expand the poison control data collection systems, including, at the Secretarys discretion, by assisting the poison control centers to improve data collection activities;

(4) improve national toxic exposure surveillance by enhancing activities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry;

(5) expand the toxicologic expertise within poison control centers; and

(6) improve the capacity of poison control centers to answer high volumes of calls during times of national crisis.

(c) Certification
Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, the Secretary may make a grant to a center under subsection (a) of this section 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) of this section 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 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 if enacted on February 25, 2000.

(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 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 are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $25,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2000 through 2004 and $27,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2005 through 2009.

42 USC 300d74 - Rule of construction

Nothing in this part may be construed to ease any restriction in Federal law applicable to the amount or percentage of funds appropriated to carry out this part that may be used to prepare or submit a report.