Bill Text: OR HB2693 | 2013 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to infant screening; declaring an emergency.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)

Status: (Failed) 2013-07-08 - In committee upon adjournment. [HB2693 Detail]

Download: Oregon-2013-HB2693-Introduced.html

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     77th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2013 Regular Session

NOTE:  Matter within  { +  braces and plus signs + } in an
amended section is new. Matter within  { -  braces and minus
signs - } is existing law to be omitted. New sections are within
 { +  braces and plus signs + } .

LC 2989

                         House Bill 2693

Sponsored by Representatives THOMPSON, GREENLICK; Representative
  KENY-GUYER

                             SUMMARY

The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the
measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to
consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor's
brief statement of the essential features of the measure as
introduced.

  Directs Oregon Health Authority to adopt rules requiring all
infants born at birthing facilities located in this state to be
screened for congenital heart defects.
  Declares emergency, effective on passage.

                        A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to infant screening; and declaring an emergency.
  Whereas congenital heart defects are structural abnormalities
of the heart that are present at birth; and
  Whereas congenital heart defects range in severity from simple
problems, such as holes between chambers of the heart, to severe
malformations, such as the complete absence of one or more
chambers or valves of the heart; and
  Whereas congenital heart defects can cause severe and
life-threatening symptoms that require intervention within the
first days of life; and
  Whereas congenital heart defects cause more fatalities than any
other birth defect; and
  Whereas according to the United States Secretary of Health and
Human Services' Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in
Newborns and Children, congenital heart defects affect
approximately seven to nine of every 1,000 live births in the
United States and Europe; and
  Whereas hospital costs for all individuals with congenital
heart defects total approximately $2.6 billion per year; and
  Whereas current methods for detecting congenital heart defects
generally include prenatal ultrasound screening; and
  Whereas these screenings, alone, identify less than half of all
cases of congenital heart defects; and
  Whereas cases involving congenital heart defects are often
missed during routine clinical exams performed prior to a newborn
being discharged from a birthing facility; and
  Whereas pulse oximetry is a noninvasive test that estimates the
percentage of hemoglobin in blood that is saturated with oxygen;
and
  Whereas pulse oximetry, when performed on a newborn, is
effective at detecting severe and life-threatening congenital
heart defects that otherwise would go undetected; and
  Whereas many lives would be saved by early detection and
treatment of congenital heart defects; now, therefore,
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
  SECTION 1.  { + (1) As used in this section, 'birthing facility
' means a health care facility, as defined in ORS 442.015, that
provides services related to the delivery of newborns.
  (2) The Oregon Health Authority shall adopt rules requiring
birthing facilities located in this state to perform a pulse
oximetry screening on each newborn delivered at the birthing
facility before discharging the newborn. + }
  SECTION 2.  { + The Oregon Health Authority shall adopt rules
described in section 1 of this 2013 Act no later than January 1,
2014. + }
  SECTION 3.  { + This 2013 Act being necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency
is declared to exist, and this 2013 Act takes effect on its
passage. + }
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