BILL REQ. #: H-1386.1
State of Washington | 58th Legislature | 2003 Regular Session |
Read first time 02/11/2003. Referred to Committee on Health Care.
AN ACT Relating to newborn hearing screening; adding a new section to chapter 70.83 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 The legislature makes the following
findings:
(1) Hearing loss is the number one birth disorder in the United
States;
(2) Every day, thirty-three babies leave the hospital with some
degree of hearing loss;
(3) All children can be evaluated for hearing loss, even children
who are only minutes old, using a safe and painless test that is easy
to administer;
(4) Undetected hearing loss present from an early age significantly
impairs speech, language, cognitive, and social-emotional development;
(5) Screening of newborns for early hearing loss would provide
personal and financial benefits to the hearing-impaired individual and
to society through reductions in the support network costs for hearing-impaired students and adults;
(6) The majority of states have adopted policies or mandates
supporting early hearing detection; and
(7) The Washington state board of health has recommended adding
screening for early hearing loss to the current newborn screening
requirements.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 A new section is added to chapter 70.83 RCW
to read as follows:
The department of health shall require a hearing screening of all
newborn infants before they are discharged from the hospital. However,
no screening shall be provided to any newborn infant whose parent or
guardian objects upon the grounds that a hearing screening conflicts
with their religious tenets and practices.
Audiologists, clinicians, attending physicians, or other persons
performing the screening shall report the results of the screening to
the department of health.