1. (a) Purpose. Health and Safety Code, Chapter 777, provides the Commission on State Emergency Communications (Commission) with the authority to establish a program to award grants to fund a network of regional poison control centers. Funding of the grants comes from revenues generated by the equalization surcharge imposed under Health and Safety Code §771.072 and appropriated to the Commission.

2. (b) The Commission shall designate the service area region for each regional poison control center, except where telecommunications network design would greatly increase the cost of routing the system. The regions are as follows:

   1. (1) The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston--Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) Regions 5 and 6;
   2. (2) The Dallas County Hospital District/North Texas Poison Center--HHS Regions 3 and 4;
   3. (3) The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio--HHS Regions 8 and 11;
   4. (4) The University Medical Center of El Paso, El Paso County Hospital District--HHS Regions 9 and 10;
   5. (5) The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at Amarillo--HHS Regions 1 and 2; and
   6. (6) Scott and White Memorial Hospital, Temple--HHS Region 7.

3. (c) Eligibility for Grants.

   1. (1) The entities eligible to request grants are the regional poison control centers for the state, designated under the Health and Safety Code, Chapter 777, as follows:

      1. (A) The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston;
      2. (B) The Dallas County Hospital District/North Texas Poison Center;
      3. (C) The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio;
      4. (D) The University Medical Center of El Paso, El Paso County Hospital District;
      5. (E) The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at Amarillo; and
      6. (F) Scott and White Memorial Hospital, Temple.
   2. (2) In accordance with Health and Safety Code §777.009, each poison control center must be certified by the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) until a statewide system certification is achieved. The Commission shall work with the AAPCC to certify the statewide poison control network and/or individual centers as required.
4. (d) Requests for Grants. The Commission shall provide a standard form for the regional poison control centers to request a grant award.

5. (e) Grant Criteria. As required by Health and Safety Code §777.009(b), the criteria for awarding grants to the regional poison control centers include the following:

   1. (1) the need of the region based on population served for poison control services, and the extent to which the grant would meet the identified need;
   2. (2) the assurance of providing quality services;
   3. (3) the availability of other funding sources;
   4. (4) achieving and/or maintaining certification as a poison control center with the AAPCC; and
   5. (5) maintenance of effort; and
   6. (6) the development or existence of telecommunications systems.
6. (f) Grant Awards. Upon review and approval of grant requests, the Commission shall award grants to the regional poison control centers from appropriated equalization surcharge to fund approved plans of regional poison control centers to carry out the duties specified in Health and Safety Code, Chapter 777.

Source Note:The provisions of this §254.1 adopted to be effective December 11, 2005, 30 TexReg 8057; amended to be effective October 2, 2008, 33 TexReg 8167; amended to be effective February 2, 2010, 35 TexReg 629.