HR 5329 RFS 
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 
EN-
HANCED COMMUNICATIONS CAPABILITIES. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide co-
ordination and assistance to poison control centers for— 
‘‘(1) the development, establishment, implemen-
tation, and maintenance of a nationwide toll-free 
phone number; and 
‘‘(2) the enhancement of communications capa-
bilities, 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 para-
graphs (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 
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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 POI-
SON 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 UTI-
LIZATION AND THEIR PUBLIC HEALTH EMER-
GENCY 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 cen-
ter resources in local communities; and 
‘‘(2) as part of such campaign, highlight the 
nationwide toll-free number and enhanced commu-
nications capabilities supported under section 1271. 
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‘‘(b) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out and expand-
ing upon the national campaign under subsection (a), the 
Secretary may consult with nationally recognized profes-
sional 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 sub-
section (a), which may include— 
‘‘(1) the development and distribution of poi-
soning 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 bench-
marks to quantitatively evaluate the impact of the 
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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 evalua-
tion 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 CEN-
TER 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 CEN-
TER 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 rec-
ommendations for, poisonings and toxic exposures 
including opioid and drug misuse; 
‘‘(2) assisting with public health emergencies, 
responses, and preparedness; and 
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‘‘(3) complying with the operational require-
ments needed to sustain the accreditation of the cen-
ter 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 poi-
soning prevention, poison control center outreach, 
opioid and drug misuse information and response, 
and public health emergency, response, and pre-
paredness programs; 
‘‘(2) to research, develop, implement, revise, 
and communicate standard patient management 
guidelines for commonly encountered toxic expo-
sures; 
‘‘(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 capac-
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