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