News You Can Use
Poison Centers, National Hotline Bill Signed Into Law
President Biden recently signed into law the ENA-supported Poison Control Centers Reauthorization Act of 2024 – a critical resource for emergency nurses across the country. This legislation provides the necessary framework for Congress to continue to fund and support the 55 regional poison centers, as well as the 24-hour, toll-free poison control hotline for an additional five years In 2022, the Poison Control Centers responded to more than 2 million human exposure calls, including 490,000 calls from health care professionals who rely on the centers for immediate assessment and expert advice on poisoning cases.
ENA has long advocated for the poison control program, supporting annual appropriations and the reauthorization every five years.
Congress Enacts Temporary Stopgap Funding Bill
On Sept. 25, Congress worked quickly to approve a continuing resolution, which was subsequently signed by President Biden, allowing the federal government to continue to operate through Dec. 20 while funding federal programs at previous levels and avoiding a government shutdown. The temporary funding package includes ENA-supported programs such as Title VII nursing workforce development programs, research at NINR, poison centers, MISSION Zero, Dr. Lorna Breen and more to continue uninterrupted.
California Laws Clarify Workplace Violence Penalties, Expand Access to Naloxone
California Governor Gavin Newsome signed into law two bills last month that California ENA members worked hard to support this year. AB 977 strengthens workplace violence penalties in the state. Prior to the bill’s passage, California law provided for sentences of up to one year in a county jail, a $2,000 fine, or both, only in cases when an assault on nurses and physicians occurred outside of the hospital. With the passage of AB 977, the same penalties now apply to those who attack nurses and physicians inside the emergency department. The new law also allows hospitals to place signage in their EDs informing visitors that assaulting hospital staff is a crime.
The second bill, AB 1976, amends current regulations to require workplace first aid kits to include naloxone opioid-reversal agents. California OSHA will also issue guidance to employers on the proper storage of naloxone to ensure its effectiveness. Finally, the law contains a provision which provides Good Samaritans civil legal protections to anyone who administers naloxone during an assumed overdose.
California ENA members were actively involved in the passage of these bills, testifying in multiple committee meetings, prioritizing the legislation at their capitol day in Sacramento and meeting frequently with legislative aides from around the state. They also worked within a coalition of other like-minded groups to ensure lawmakers were aware of the broad support these bills had from groups of varied interests and priorities. |
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