Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

Health Care & Wellness Committee

HB 2544

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Summary of Bill

Requires hospitals to submit sample blood specimens for newborns to the Department of Health (Department) within 48 hours of birth.
Requires attending health care providers to notify the Department when a parent or guardian is informed of a suspicion of an abnormality arising from a screening test.
Directs the Department to publish an annual report on hospital compliance with newborn screening deadlines and health care provider notifications to parent and guardians.

Background:

Newborn infants are screened for several inherited genetic disorders that can lead to death or disability without early interventions. Hospitals must obtain sample blood specimens from each newborn prior to discharge or within five days of birth if the newborn has not been discharged by that time. Samples must be forwarded to the Washington State Public Health Laboratory no later than the day after their collection. Upon receipt of a sample, the Department of Health (Department) performs screening tests for 27 types of disorders. The Department must report any laboratory test results indicating a suspicion of abnormality to the infant's attending physician.

In 2012, of the 86,180 births in Washington that were subject to newborn screening requirements, a genetic disorder was detected in 209 infants.

Summary of Bill:

Hospitals must collect and submit sample blood specimens to the Department of Health (Department) for all newborns born in the hospital within 48 hours of birth. The sample must be received by the Department within 72 hours of the collection of the sample.

If the Department notifies an infant's attending health care provider that a screening test indicates a suspicion of abnormality, the attending physician must notify the Department of the date when the parents or guardians were informed of the results.

The Department must compile an annual report regarding the compliance rate of hospitals at meeting the deadlines for newborn screenings and the promptness of health care providers at informing parents and guardians about screening tests that indicate a suspicion of abnormality. The report shall be published annually and shall identify the performance of each individual hospital.

The reporting for attending health care providers and the compliance rate reporting requirement for the Department expire January 1, 2020.