BILL REQ. #:  H-2295.1 

READ FIRST TIME 02/21/07.   

     AN ACT Relating to newborn screening fees; amending RCW 70.83.040; adding a new section to chapter 74.09 RCW; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 70.83.040 and 2005 c 518 s 938 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, congenital hypothyroidism, and((, during the 2005-07 fiscal biennium,)) other disorders defined by the board of health under RCW 70.83.020. The fee may be collected through the facility where the screening specimen is obtained.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 74.09 RCW to read as follows:
     Payments for medical assistance shall include the cost of newborn screening fees used to fund specialty clinics in accordance with RCW 70.83.040. If such payments are found to be in conflict with federal requirements that are a prescribed condition to the allocation of federal funds to the state, the conflicting part of this act is inoperative solely to the extent of the conflict and with respect to the agencies directly affected, and this finding does not affect the operation of the remainder of this act in its application to the agencies concerned.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect July 1, 2007.