Topics and Expertise: budget

Poison experts nationally are tracking the fate of the California Poison Control System, as California state legislators work to pass an already overdue budget. Operation of the System is dependent upon sufficient state funding, the prospects for which remain bleak.

Layoff notices are predicted by mid-July 2009 for California Poison Control System employees unless adequate funding for the System is both included in a new California state budget and a new budget is soon passed by the state legislature.

As California legislators continued to wrangle over the details of a state budget bill, National Public Radio's Kelley Weiss covered the impact of potential cuts on the California Poison Control System.

San Francisco, CA (May 20, 2009)—Funding for poison control services has been completely eliminated from the California state budget. Beginning in September of 2009, California will become the only state in the nation without any emergency poison control services for residents or medical...