Senate File 233
SENATE FILE
BY BOETTGER and RAGAN
Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to mandatory newborn and infant hearing
2 screening.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
4 TLSB 2601SS 80
5 pf/sh/8
PAG LIN
1 1 DIVISION XV
1 2 UNIVERSAL NEWBORN AND INFANT HEARING SCREENING
1 3 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 135.131 UNIVERSAL NEWBORN AND
1 4 INFANT HEARING SCREENING.
1 5 1. For the purposes of this section, unless the context
1 6 otherwise requires:
1 7 a. "Birth center" means birth center as defined in section
1 8 135.61.
1 9 b. "Birthing hospital" means a private or public hospital
1 10 licensed pursuant to chapter 135B that has a licensed
1 11 obstetric unit or is licensed to provide obstetric services.
1 12 2. Beginning January 1, 2004, all newborns and infants
1 13 born in this state shall be screened for hearing loss in
1 14 accordance with this section. The person required to perform
1 15 the screening shall use at least one of the following
1 16 procedures:
1 17 a. Automated or diagnostic auditory brainstem response.
1 18 b. Otoacoustic emissions.
1 19 c. Any other technology approved by the department.
1 20 3. Beginning January 1, 2004, a birthing hospital shall
1 21 screen every newborn delivered in the hospital for hearing
1 22 loss prior to discharge of the newborn from the birthing
1 23 hospital. A birthing hospital that transfers a newborn for
1 24 acute care prior to completion of the hearing screening shall
1 25 notify the receiving facility of the status of the hearing
1 26 screening. The receiving facility shall be responsible for
1 27 completion of the newborn hearing screening. The birthing
1 28 hospital or other facility completing the hearing screening
1 29 under this subsection shall report the results of the
1 30 screening to the parent or guardian of the newborn and to the
1 31 department in a manner prescribed by rule of the department.
1 32 4. Beginning January 1, 2004, a birth center shall refer
1 33 the newborn to a licensed audiologist, physician, or hospital
1 34 for screening for hearing loss prior to discharge of the
1 35 newborn from the birth center. The hearing screening shall be
2 1 completed within thirty days following discharge of the
2 2 newborn. The person completing the hearing screening shall
2 3 report the results of the screening to the parent or guardian
2 4 of the newborn and to the department in a manner prescribed by
2 5 rule of the department.
2 6 5. Beginning January 1, 2004, if a newborn is delivered in
2 7 a location other than a birthing hospital or a birth center,
2 8 the physician or other health care professional who undertakes
2 9 the pediatric care of the newborn or infant shall ensure that
2 10 the hearing screening is performed within three months of the
2 11 date of the newborn's or infant's birth. The physician or
2 12 other health care professional shall report the results of the
2 13 hearing screening to the parent or guardian of the newborn or
2 14 infant and to the department in a manner prescribed by rule of
2 15 the department.
2 16 6. A birthing hospital, birth center, physician, or other
2 17 health care professional required to report information under
2 18 this section shall report all of the following information to
2 19 the department relating to a newborn's or infant's hearing
2 20 screening, as applicable:
2 21 a. The name, address, and telephone number, if available,
2 22 of the mother of the newborn or infant.
2 23 b. The primary care provider at the birthing hospital or
2 24 birth center for the newborn or infant.
2 25 c. The results of the hearing screening.
2 26 d. Any rescreenings and the diagnostic audiological
2 27 assessment procedures used.
2 28 7. The department shall adopt rules to administer this
2 29 section including rules to provide for the sharing of
2 30 information among agencies and persons involved with newborn
2 31 and infant hearing screenings, follow=up, and intervention
2 32 services, that maintain the confidentiality of the individuals
2 33 involved.
2 34 8. A person who acts in good faith in complying with this
2 35 section shall not be civilly or criminally liable for
3 1 reporting the information required to be reported by this
3 2 section.
3 3 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 135B.18A UNIVERSAL NEWBORN AND
3 4 INFANT HEARING SCREENING.
3 5 Beginning January 1, 2004, a birthing hospital as defined
3 6 in section 135.131 shall comply with section 135.131 relating
3 7 to universal newborn and infant hearing screening.
3 8 EXPLANATION
3 9 This bill requires universal newborn and infant hearing
3 10 screening beginning January 1, 2004. The bill defines
3 11 "birthing hospital" to mean a licensed private or public
3 12 hospital that has a licensed obstetric unit or is licensed to
3 13 provide obstetric services. The bill defines "birth center"
3 14 as a facility or institution which is not an ambulatory
3 15 surgical center or a hospital or in a hospital in which births
3 16 are planned to occur following a normal, uncomplicated, low=
3 17 risk pregnancy.
3 18 The bill requires that beginning January 1, 2004, all
3 19 newborns and infants born in the state are to be screened for
3 20 hearing loss using at least one of the prescribed methods:
3 21 automated or diagnostic auditory brainstem response;
3 22 otoacoustic emissions; or any other technology approved by the
3 23 department.
3 24 The bill requires that beginning January 1, 2004, a
3 25 birthing hospital is to screen every newborn delivered in the
3 26 hospital for hearing loss prior to discharge of the newborn
3 27 from the birthing hospital. A birthing hospital that
3 28 transfers a newborn for acute care prior to completion of the
3 29 newborn hearing screening is to notify the receiving facility
3 30 of the status of the newborn hearing screening and the
3 31 receiving facility is then responsible for completion of the
3 32 newborn hearing screening. The bill directs the birthing
3 33 hospital or other facility completing the hearing screening to
3 34 report the results of the screening to the parent or guardian
3 35 of the newborn and to the department in a manner prescribed by
4 1 rule of the department.
4 2 The bill also provides that beginning January 1, 2004, a
4 3 birth center is to refer the newborn to a licensed
4 4 audiologist, physician, or hospital for hearing loss prior to
4 5 discharge of the newborn from the birth center. The newborn
4 6 hearing screening is to be completed within 30 days following
4 7 discharge of the newborn. The person completing the newborn
4 8 hearing screening is to report the results of the screening to
4 9 the parent or guardian of the newborn and to the department in
4 10 a manner prescribed by rule of the department.
4 11 Additionally, the bill provides that beginning January 1,
4 12 2004, if a newborn is delivered in a location other than a
4 13 birthing hospital or a birth center, the physician or other
4 14 health care professional who undertakes the pediatric care of
4 15 the newborn or infant is to ensure that the newborn or infant
4 16 hearing screening is performed within three months of the date
4 17 of the newborn's or infant's birth. The physician or other
4 18 health care professional is to report the results of the
4 19 newborn or infant hearing screening to the parent or guardian
4 20 of the newborn or infant and to the department in a manner
4 21 prescribed by rule of the department.
4 22 The bill provides a listing of the information that a
4 23 reporter of information under the bill is required to report
4 24 and directs the department to adopt rules to administer the
4 25 provisions of the bill, including confidentiality provisions.
4 26 The bill provides that a person who acts in good faith in
4 27 complying with the provisions of the bill is not civilly or
4 28 criminally liable for reporting the information required to be
4 29 reported under the bill.
4 30 LSB 2601SS 80
4 31 pf/sh/8.1