House File 2350 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY FORD
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act providing for the establishment of a blood lead testing
2 requirement under specified circumstances, and making an
3 appropriation.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
5 TLSB 6270HH 81
6 rn/cf/24
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 135.105D BLOOD LEAD TESTING ==
1 2 REQUIREMENTS == APPROPRIATION.
1 3 1. For purposes of this section:
1 4 a. "Blood lead testing" means taking a capillary or venous
1 5 sample of blood and sending it to a laboratory to determine
1 6 the level of lead in the blood.
1 7 b. "Capillary" means a blood sample taken from the finger
1 8 or heel for lead analysis.
1 9 c. "Health care provider" means a physician who is
1 10 licensed under chapter 148, 150, or 150A, or a person who is
1 11 licensed as a physician assistant under chapter 148C or as an
1 12 advanced registered nurse practitioner.
1 13 d. "Venous" means a blood sample taken from a vein in the
1 14 arm for lead analysis.
1 15 2. A health care provider shall perform blood lead testing
1 16 on each of the provider's patients under six years of age to
1 17 whom health care services are provided unless the health care
1 18 provider has knowledge that the child has already received
1 19 blood lead testing in accordance with this section, or
1 20 pursuant to the childhood lead poisoning prevention grant
1 21 program in section 135.103, or if testing may be waived as
1 22 provided in subsection 4. If the health care provider or the
1 23 provider's staff cannot perform the required blood lead
1 24 testing, the provider may refer the patient, in writing, to
1 25 another health care provider for performance of the testing.
1 26 3. If a health care provider receives laboratory test
1 27 results indicating that a child has a blood lead level equal
1 28 to or greater than ten micrograms per deciliter, the health
1 29 care provider shall notify, in writing, the parent or guardian
1 30 of the child regarding the test results and provide an
1 31 explanation in plain language of the significance of lead
1 32 poisoning, and shall notify the department. The health care
1 33 provider shall also take appropriate measures to ensure that
1 34 the child's siblings or other members of the child's household
1 35 who are under six years of age have received a blood lead
2 1 test.
2 2 4. The requirements of this section may be waived if a
2 3 health care provider determines that a child is of very low
2 4 risk for elevated blood lead levels, or if the child's parent
2 5 or legal guardian submits a written statement to the provider
2 6 that the testing conflicts with the tenets and practices of a
2 7 recognized religious denomination of which the parent or legal
2 8 guardian submitting the statement is an adherent or member.
2 9 5. The department shall by rule establish a mechanism by
2 10 which children who have undergone blood lead testing can be
2 11 identified by health care providers so as to avoid duplicate
2 12 testing. The department shall also adopt rules to specify
2 13 circumstances indicating blood lead testing for children under
2 14 six years of age, when follow=up blood lead testing is
2 15 required after a blood lead level equal to or greater than ten
2 16 micrograms per deciliter has been detected, the methods that
2 17 shall be used to conduct the testing, and procedures regarding
2 18 referrals to another health care provider for testing.
2 19 6. The department shall conduct a public information
2 20 campaign to inform parents of young children and health care
2 21 providers of the blood lead testing requirements, and shall
2 22 develop written materials that health care providers can use
2 23 to notify the parent or guardian of a child about blood lead
2 24 test results.
2 25 7. Health care providers performing testing pursuant to
2 26 this section shall submit information regarding the number of
2 27 tests performed, and costs incurred, to the department on
2 28 forms and pursuant to procedures to be established by the
2 29 department by rule, for reimbursement by the department.
2 30 There shall be appropriated annually from the general fund of
2 31 the state to the department an amount sufficient to implement
2 32 this section.
2 33 EXPLANATION
2 34 This bill establishes a blood lead testing requirement
2 35 applicable to health care providers under specified
3 1 circumstances.
3 2 The bill provides that a health care provider, as defined
3 3 in the bill, shall perform blood lead testing on each of the
3 4 provider's patients under six years of age unless they have
3 5 knowledge that the child has already received such testing.
3 6 In the event that the provider or the provider's staff cannot
3 7 perform the required blood lead testing, the bill states that
3 8 the provider may refer the patient, in writing, to another
3 9 health care provider.
3 10 The bill states that if a provider receives test results
3 11 indicating that a child has a blood lead level equal to or
3 12 greater than 10 micrograms per deciliter, the provider shall
3 13 notify, in writing, the parent or guardian of the child
3 14 regarding the test results and provide an explanation in plain
3 15 language of the significance of lead poisoning. The provider
3 16 shall also take appropriate measures to ensure that the
3 17 child's siblings or other members of the child's household who
3 18 are under six years of age have received a blood lead test.
3 19 The bill provides that blood lead testing may be waived if
3 20 a provider determines that a child is of very low risk, or if
3 21 the child's parent or legal guardian submits a written
3 22 statement to the provider that the testing conflicts with the
3 23 tenets and practices of a recognized religious denomination of
3 24 which the parent or legal guardian submitting the statement is
3 25 an adherent or member.
3 26 The bill directs the Iowa department of public health to
3 27 establish a mechanism by which children who have undergone
3 28 blood lead testing can be identified to avoid duplicate
3 29 testing, and to adopt rules specifying circumstances for
3 30 testing of children under six years of age, when follow=up
3 31 blood lead testing is required, the methods that shall be used
3 32 to conduct the testing, and procedures regarding referrals to
3 33 another health care provider for testing. The bill also
3 34 directs the department to conduct a public information
3 35 campaign to inform parents of young children and health care
4 1 providers of the blood lead testing requirements, and to
4 2 develop written materials that providers can use to notify the
4 3 parent or guardian of a child about blood lead test results.
4 4 LSB 6270HH 81
4 5 rn:nh/cf/24