Bill Text: FL S0722 | 2014 | Regular Session | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Newborn Health Screening
Spectrum:
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-04-23 - Laid on Table, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/HB 591 (Ch. 2014-121) [S0722 Detail]
Download: Florida-2014-S0722-Comm_Sub.html
Florida Senate - 2014 CS for CS for CS for SB 722 By the Committees on Judiciary; Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; and Health Policy; and Senators Garcia, Soto, Bean, and Richter 590-03977-14 2014722c3 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to newborn health screening; amending 3 s. 383.14, F.S.; authorizing the State Public Health 4 Laboratory to release the results of a newborn’s 5 hearing and metabolic tests or screenings to the 6 newborn’s health care practitioner; defining the term 7 “health care practitioner” as it relates to such 8 release; amending s. 383.145, F.S.; updating a cross 9 reference; creating s. 383.146, F.S.; requiring an 10 audiologist to provide an opportunity for the parent 11 or legal guardian of an infant or toddler who is 12 diagnosed with a hearing impairment to provide contact 13 information so that he or she may receive information 14 directly from specified service providers; requiring 15 the Department of Health to post a list of certain 16 service providers on the department website; requiring 17 the audiologist or his or her designee to transmit a 18 consent form to the providers listed on the department 19 website; providing an effective date. 20 21 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 22 23 Section 1. Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section 24 383.14, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 25 383.14 Screening for metabolic disorders, other hereditary 26 and congenital disorders, and environmental risk factors.— 27 (1) SCREENING REQUIREMENTS.—To help ensure access to the 28 maternal and child health care system, the Department of Health 29 shall promote the screening of all newborns born in Florida for 30 metabolic, hereditary, and congenital disorders known to result 31 in significant impairment of health or intellect, as screening 32 programs accepted by current medical practice become available 33 and practical in the judgment of the department. The department 34 shall also promote the identification and screening of all 35 newborns in this state and their families for environmental risk 36 factors such as low income, poor education, maternal and family 37 stress, emotional instability, substance abuse, and other high 38 risk conditions associated with increased risk of infant 39 mortality and morbidity to provide early intervention, 40 remediation, and prevention services, including, but not limited 41 to, parent support and training programs, home visitation, and 42 case management. Identification, perinatal screening, and 43 intervention efforts shall begin prior to and immediately 44 following the birth of the child by the attending health care 45 provider. Such efforts shall be conducted in hospitals, 46 perinatal centers, county health departments, school health 47 programs that provide prenatal care, and birthing centers, and 48 reported to the Office of Vital Statistics. 49 (c) Release of screening results.—Notwithstanding anyother50 law to the contrary, the State Public Health Laboratory may 51 release, directly or through the Children’s Medical Services 52 program, the results of a newborn’s hearing and metabolic tests 53 or screeningsscreeningto the newborn’s health care 54 practitioner. As used in this paragraph, the term “health care 55 practitioner” means a physician or physician assistant licensed 56 under chapter 458; an osteopathic physician or physician 57 assistant licensed under chapter 459; an advanced registered 58 nurse practitioner, registered nurse, or licensed practical 59 nurse licensed under part I of chapter 464; a midwife licensed 60 under chapter 467; a speech-language pathologist or audiologist 61 licensed under part I of chapter 468; or a dietician or 62 nutritionist licensed under part X of chapter 468primary care63physician. 64 Section 2. Paragraphs (i) and (k) of subsection (3) of 65 section 383.145, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 66 383.145 Newborn and infant hearing screening.— 67 (3) REQUIREMENTS FOR SCREENING OF NEWBORNS; INSURANCE 68 COVERAGE; REFERRAL FOR ONGOING SERVICES.— 69 (i)By October 1, 2000,Newborn hearing screening must be 70 conducted on all newborns in hospitals in this state on birth 71 admission. When a newborn is delivered in a facility other than 72 a hospital, the parents must be instructed on the importance of 73 having the hearing screening performed and must be given 74 information to assist them in having the screening performed 75 within 3 months after the child’s birth. 76 (k) AAnychild who is diagnosed as having a permanent 77 hearing impairment shall be referred to the primary care 78 physician for medical management, treatment, and followup 79 services. Furthermore, in accordance with Part C of the 80 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Pub. L. No. 108-446 81105-17, Infants and Toddlers with DisabilitiesThe Infants and82Toddlers Program, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, a 83anychild from birth to 36 months of age who is diagnosed as 84 having a hearing impairment that requires ongoing special 85 hearing services shallmustbe referred to the Children’s 86 Medical Services Early Intervention Program serving the 87 geographical area in which the child resides. 88 Section 3. Section 383.146, Florida Statutes, is created to 89 read: 90 383.146 Infants and toddlers who are deaf or hard of 91 hearing; notice of service providers.— 92 (1) At the time that an audiologist diagnoses an infant or 93 toddler as having a permanent hearing impairment, the 94 audiologist or his or her designee shall ask the child’s parent 95 or legal guardian if he or she would like to authorize the 96 release of contact information in order to receive direct 97 correspondence from qualified Early Steps providers that offer 98 early intervention services and that specialize in serving 99 children with hearing loss. A parent or legal guardian that 100 wishes to receive the direct correspondence shall authorize the 101 release of the contact information by signing a consent form. 102 (2) The Department of Health shall post on its website a 103 list of qualified Early Steps providers of early intervention 104 services which specialize in serving children with hearing loss 105 and which have notified the department of their interest to 106 provide direct communication to families who wish to receive 107 information about the services that they provide. 108 (3) The audiologist or his or her designee shall send by 109 secure transmission the consent form to those providers listed 110 on the department’s website. 111 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2014.