2012 -- S 2640 SUBSTITUTE A

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LC02097/SUB A

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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2012

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S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N

CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION

TO STUDY PUBLIC HEALTH THREATS FROM PHARMACEUTICAL HUMAN WASTE

CONTAMINATION IN THE WATER SUPPLY

     Introduced By: Senators Tassoni, Doyle, Gallo, and Sosnowski

     Date Introduced: March 01, 2012

     Referred To: Senate Health & Human Services

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     WHEREAS, A 2002 study by the United States Geological Survey conducted across 30

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states found that 80 percent of water streams sampled had measurable concentrations of

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prescription and nonprescription drugs, steroids, and reproductive hormones; and

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     WHEREAS, Many drugs, particularly cytotoxic agents used in the treatment of cancers

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such as chemotherapy, have no safe exposure limit, are carcinogenic, mutanagenic, and

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teratogenic, and remain active and dangerous long after leaving the human body through waste;

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and

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     WHEREAS, In some instances, over 90 percent of a utilized drug fails to be absorbed by

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the human body and is excreted through waste into the water supply; and

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     WHEREAS, The federal Occupation Safety and Health Administration, the

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Environmental Protection Agency, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  have each

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publically expressed concern with the handling and/or disposal of pharmaceuticals, particularly

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cytotoxic agents; and

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     WHEREAS, Even with effective collection and treatment systems, medical waste

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incinerators are not capable of destroying cytotoxic chemicals and no methods are currently

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available to sewer treatment facilities to neutralize such chemicals; and

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     WHEREAS, Despite these limitations, effective methods of collecting, reducing, and

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neutralizing drugs, and rendering them safe for disposal, exist and should be fully explored and

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considered; now, therefore be it

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     RESOLVED, That a Special Legislative Commission be and the same hereby is created

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consisting of seven (7) members: three (3) of whom shall be members of the Senate, not more

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than two (2) of whom shall be from the same political party, to be appointed by the President of

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the Senate; one of whom shall be the Director of the Department of Health, or designee; one of

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whom shall be the Director of the Department of Environmental Management, or designee; one

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of whom shall be the Director of the Department of Human Services, or designee; and one of

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whom shall be the Rhode Island Attorney General, or designee.

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     In lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a permanent advisory

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commission, a legislative study commission, or any commission created by a General Assembly

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resolution, the appointing authority may appoint a member of the general public to serve in lieu

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of a legislator, provided that the Majority Leader or the Minority Leader of the political party

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which is entitled to the appointment, consents to the member of the general public.

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     The purpose of said commission shall be to make a comprehensive study and provide

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recommendations regarding potential public health threats resulting from pharmaceutical,

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medical, and human waste contamination in the public water supply and appropriate collection

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methods to prevent such contamination. Said study shall include, but not be limited to:

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     (1) A comprehensive review of methods currently used in this state by consumers, health

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care providers, and others for disposing of unused pharmaceuticals so that they do not enter the

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wastewater system;

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      (2) A review of programs and systems developed in other local, state, and national

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jurisdictions for disposing of unused pharmaceuticals so that they do not enter the wastewater

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system;

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     (3) Recommendations regarding the development of public education and outreach

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program concerning the proper disposal of unused medications, including but not limited to,  the

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requirement that all physicians, pharmacists, or other health care professionals licensed in the

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state of Rhode Island and authorized to prescribe and/or administer chemotherapy treatment

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provide written notice to each patient undergoing such treatment as to the hazards posed to

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patients and their families in the residential setting of excreted human waste;

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     (4) Recommendations, if necessary, regarding statutory and/or regulatory changes to

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current processes concerning pharmaceutical and contamination of our water supply, including

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the development of sufficient collection methods whereby patients can safely collect and contain

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potentially hazardous excreted bodily wastes for a period of time to be defined by the licensed

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prescribing practitioner based on the relevant FDA label(s); and

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     (5) The potential costs of and recommendations regarding how to finance, such a

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program. 

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     Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall meet at

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the call of the President of the Senate.  Two co-chairs of the commission shall also be selected by

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the Senate President.

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     Vacancies in said commission shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment.

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     The membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services.

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     All departments and agencies of the state shall furnish such advice and information,

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documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its agents as is deemed necessary or

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desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this resolution.

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     The Joint Committee on Legislative Services is hereby authorized and directed to provide

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suitable quarters for said commission; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That the commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the

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Senate no later than March 5, 2013, and said commission shall expire on May 31, 2013.

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LC02097/SUB A

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N

CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION

TO STUDY PUBLIC HEALTH THREATS FROM PHARMACEUTICAL HUMAN WASTE

CONTAMINATION IN THE WATER SUPPLY

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     This resolution would create a seven (7) member special legislative study commission

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whose purpose it would be to study public health threats from pharmaceutical human waste

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contamination in the water supply, and who would report back to the Senate no later than March

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5, 2013, and whose life would expire on May 31, 2013.           

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LC02097/SUB A

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