Email: Chapter 16, Article 22
§16-22-1. Findings.
The Legislature finds that phenylketonuria, galactosemia, hypothyroidism, and certain other diseases are usually associated with intellectual disability or other severe health hazards. Laboratory tests are readily available to aid in the detection of these diseases and hazards to the health of those suffering from these diseases may be lessened or prevented by early detection and treatment. Damage from these diseases, if untreated in the early months of life, is usually rapid and not appreciably affected by treatment.
§16-22-2. Program to combat intellectual disability or other severe health hazards; rules; facilities for making tests.
The State Bureau of Public Health is authorized to establish and carry out a program designed to combat intellectual disability or other severe health hazards in our state's population due to phenylketonuria, galactosemia, hypothyroidism, and certain other diseases specified by the State Public Health Commissioner, and may adopt reasonable rules and regulations necessary to carry out such a program. The Bureau of Public Health shall establish and maintain facilities at its state hygienic laboratory for testing specimens for the detection of phenylketonuria, galactosemia, hypothyroidism, and certain other diseases specified by the State Public Health Commissioner. Tests shall be made by such laboratory of specimens upon request by physicians, hospital medical personnel and other individuals attending newborn infants. The State Bureau of Public Health is authorized to establish additional laboratories throughout the state to perform tests for the detection of phenylketonuria, galactosemia, hypothyroidism, and certain other diseases specified by the State Public Health Commissioner.
§16-22-3. Tests for diseases specified by the state Public Health Commissioner; reports; assistance to afflicted children; Public Health Commissioner to propose rules.
(a) The hospital or birthing center in which an infant is born, the parents or legal guardians, the physician attending a newborn child, or any person attending a newborn child not under the care of a physician shall require and ensure that each such child be tested for phenylketonuria, galactosemia, hypothyroidism, sickle cell anemia and certain other diseases specified by the Bureau for Public Health. The Bureau for Public Health shall also require testing for congenital adrenal hyperplasia, cystic fibrosis and biotinidase deficiency. No later than July 1, 2008, the Bureau for Public Health shall also require testing for isovaleric acidemia, glutaric acidemia type I, 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaric aciduria, multiple carboxylase deficiency, methylmalonic acidemia-mutase deficiency form, 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase deficiency, methylmalonic acidemia, Cbl A and Cbl B forms, propionic acidemia, beta-ketothiolase deficiency, medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency, very long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency, long-chain hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency, trifunctional protein deficiency, carnitine uptake defeat, maple syrup urine disease, homocystinuria, citrullinemia type I, argininosuccinate acidemia, tyrosinemia type I, hemoglobin S/Beta-thalassemia, sickle C disease and hearing deficiency.
(b) A positive result on any test specified in subsection (a) of this section, or a positive result for any other diseases specified by the Bureau for Public Health, shall be promptly reported to the Bureau for Public Health by the director of the laboratory performing such test.
(c) Newborn screenings shall be considered a covered benefit reimbursed to the birthing facilities by Public Employees Insurance Agency, the state Children's Health Insurance Program, the Medicaid program and all health insurers whose benefit package includes pregnancy coverage and who are licensed under chapter thirty-three of this code.
(d) The Bureau for Public Health shall propose rules for legislative approval in accordance with article three, chapter twenty-nine of this code. These legislative rules shall include:
(1) A means for the Bureau for Public Health, in cooperation with other state agencies, and with attending physicians, to provide medical, dietary and related assistance to children determined to be afflicted with any disease specified in subsection (a) of this section and certain other diseases specified by the Bureau for Public Health; and
(2) A means for payment for the screening provided for in this section; and
(3) Anything further considered necessary by the Bureau for Public Health to implement the provisions of this section.
§16-22-4. Penalties for violating provisions of article.
Any person violating the provisions of this article shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $25 nor more than $50. Violation of each such provision shall be considered a separate offense.
§16-22-5. Severability.
If any provision or item of this article or application thereof is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions, items or applications of this article.
§16-22-6. Effective date.
The effective date of this article shall be July 1, 1965.