Report Title:

Poison Center; Appropriation

Description:

Appropriates funds to continue to operate the Poison Center 24 hours a day. (SB963 HD1)

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

963

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

H.D. 1


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

making an appropriation for the poison center.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that a poison center's services are essential to the proper functioning of an emergency medical services system. The mission of a poison center is to prevent and reduce harm from poisoning through the provision of comprehensive poison information services. A properly functioning poison center helps save lives, prevent needless suffering, and reduce health care costs.

The Hawaii poison center currently responds to more than twelve thousand calls annually to its free, twenty-four-hour statewide hotline. Many of the center's calls are acute in nature and the center's professionally trained nursing staff are able to provide early management of poisoning cases, obviating the necessity of an emergency services visit or response. Professional toxicology consultative services are available twenty-four hours a day at no charge to hospitals, other acute care health facilities, and health care providers. Additionally, the center provides ongoing, free, statewide public information and education services that are preventive in nature, and professional education for health care providers.

The expenses in fiscal year 2003 are estimated at $500,000, to cover the costs of the twenty-four-hour hotline, public education program, administration, and staffing. The twenty-four-hour hotline alone costs approximately $320,000 per year to operate. Similar expenditures are projected for fiscal year 2004.

The poison center receives funds from a variety of sources including federal grants, the department of agriculture pesticide program, grants from local foundations, donations, in-kind services, and direct contributions from Kapiolani Medical Center. In fiscal year 2003, the anticipated total revenue for the poison center is $500,000. However, the anticipated revenue for the poison center in fiscal year 2004 is expected to reach only $238,000, a decrease by over fifty per cent, resulting in deficit of $262,000. The reason for the drastic decline is that businesses, healthcare organizations, and other donors that normally contribute funding, including Kapiolani Medical Center, which in 2003 contributed over $148,000, have indicated that they may not be able to assist this year because of the poor economy.

The purpose of this Act is to continue to provide for the protection of Hawaii's residents and visitors by appropriating funds for the poison center to continue operating twenty-four hours a day.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $1 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2003-2004 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2004-2005 to enable the department of health to operate a hospital-based poison center twenty-four hours a day.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2003.