I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
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. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 11, 2019 
Mr. ENGEL (for himself, Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana, Ms. DEGETTE, and Ms. 
HERRERA BEUTLER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize and 
enhance the poison center national toll-free number, na-
tional media campaign, and grant program, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives 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’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:52 Jan 25, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H501.IH
H501
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
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 
work of poison control centers or the use of their resources 
by the Secretary or other governmental agencies. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:52 Jan 25, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H501.IH
H501
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(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 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. 
‘‘(b) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out and expand-
ing upon the national campaign under subsection (a), the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:52 Jan 25, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H501.IH
H501
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
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 
nationwide public awareness campaign carried out 
under this section; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:52 Jan 25, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H501.IH
H501
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(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 2020 through 2024.’’. 
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 
‘‘(3) complying with the operational require-
ments needed to sustain the accreditation of the cen-
ter under subsection (c). 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:52 Jan 25, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H501.IH
H501
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(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-
ity of the Nation’s network of poison control centers 
to facilitate increased access to the centers through 
the integration and modernization of the current 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:52 Jan 25, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H501.IH
H501
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
poison control centers communications and data sys-
tem, including enhancing the network’s telephony, 
internet, data, and social networking technologies; 
‘‘(5) to develop, support, and enhance tech-
nology and capabilities of nationally recognized pro-
fessional 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 en-
hanced public health utilization of national poison 
data collected by such organizations; 
‘‘(7) to support and expand the toxicologic ex-
pertise 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 en-
hance 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 sub-
section (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 nation-
ally recognized professional organization in the field 
of poison control, and the Secretary has approved 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:52 Jan 25, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H501.IH
H501
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
the organization as having in effect standards for 
accreditation that reasonably provide for the protec-
tion 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 protec-
tion 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 sub-
section (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 ap-
propriate 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 2019, grant to a poi-
son control center waivers or renewals that total 
more than 5 years. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:52 Jan 25, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H501.IH
H501
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(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 sec-
tion, 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 expendi-
tures 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 per-
cent of the amount appropriated pursuant to the pre-
ceding sentence for each fiscal year for coordination, dis-
semination, 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.’’. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:52 Jan 25, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H501.IH
H501
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS