BILL REQ. #:  Z-0072.1 

Read first time 01/26/2005.   Referred to Committee on Health & Long-Term Care.

     AN ACT Relating to describing when the department of health may collect a fee for infant screening services; and amending RCW 70.83.040.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 70.83.040 and 1999 c 76 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     When notified of positive screening tests, the state department of health shall offer the use of its services and facilities, designed to prevent mental retardation or physical defects in such children, to the attending physician, or the parents of the newborn child if no attending physician can be identified.
     The services and facilities of the department, and other state and local agencies cooperating with the department in carrying out programs of detection and prevention of mental retardation and physical defects shall be made available to the family and physician to the extent required in order to carry out the intent of this chapter and within the availability of funds. The department has the authority to collect a reasonable fee, from the parents or other responsible party of each infant screened to fund specialty clinics that provide treatment services for ((hemoglobin diseases,)) phenylketonuria((, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and congenital hypothyroidism)) and other disorders defined by the board of health under RCW 70.83.020 and adopted in rule under RCW 70.83.050. The fee may be collected through the facility where the screening specimen is obtained.