HBA-JRA H.B. 1183 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1183 By: Dukes Public Health 4/6/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, Texas law requires five screenings to be conducted on all newborns to test for certain hereditary conditions. Congenital hearing loss is estimated to occur nearly three times as often as all other measured conditions combined, yet a screening for hearing loss is not among the required tests. Detection of hearing loss at birth increases the success rate of treatment. H.B. 1183 requires newborn children to be screened for hearing disorders and requires the attending physician to recommend medical care for any child with a positive screening test. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends the chapter heading to Chapter 33, Health and Safety Code, as follows: CHAPTER 33. PHENYLKETONURIA, OTHER HERITABLE DISEASES, HYPOTHYROIDISM, AND HEARING DISORDERS SECTION 2. Amends Section 33.011, Health and Safety Code, to require the person attending a newborn child to subject the child to a screening test for hearing disorders. Provides that the screening test for hearing disorders must be performed by a person who has completed a training program approved by the Texas Department of Health (TDH). Makes conforming changes. SECTION 3. Amends Subchapter B, Chapter 33, Health and Safety Code, by adding Section 33.0145, as follows: Sec. 33.0145. HEARING SCREENING RESULTS; FOLLOW-UP. (a) Requires the person performing the screening test for hearing disorders, if the test indicates that the newborn child may have a hearing disorder, to notify the parents of the newborn child of the test results and submit the test results to TDH. (b) Requires TDH, if the test indicates that the newborn child may have a hearing disorder, to recommend that the child be placed under the medical care of a licensed physician for diagnosis and provide the name of a consultant pediatric specialist in the child's geographic area. (c) Authorizes TDH, the health authority, and the consulting pediatric specialist to follow up a positive test by consulting with the attending physician or with a parent of the newborn child if the child was not attended by a physician at birth. SECTION 4. Amends Section 33.032(a), Health and Safety Code, to authorize TDH to provide services directly or through approved providers to individuals of any age on the confirmation of a positive test for a hearing disorder. SECTION 5. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 6. Emergency clause.