AN ACT

 

1Providing for newborn child pulse oximetry screening.

2The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
3hereby enacts as follows:

4Section 1. Short title.

5This act shall be known and may be cited as the Newborn Child
6Pulse Oximetry Screening Act.

7Section 2. Findings.

8The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:

9(1) Congenital heart defects (CHD) are structural
10abnormalities that are present at birth and range in severity
11from simple holes in the heart to severe malformations.

12(2) Some severe congenital heart defects can cause
13serious and life-threatening symptoms that require
14intervention in the first days of life.

15(3) The March of Dimes reports that approximately
16350,000 infants are born with heart defects every year in the

1United States.

2(4) Congenital heart defects are the number one killer
3of infants with birth defects, however, advances in diagnosis
4and surgical treatment have led to dramatic increases in
5survival for children with serious heart defects.

6(5) In the United States, about 1.4 million children and
7adults live with congenital heart defects today and nearly
8all are able to live productive, active lives.

9(6) Current methods for detecting congenital heart
10defects include prenatal ultrasound screenings and repeated
11clinical examinations, which only identify less than half of
12all cases of CHD.

13(7) Pulse oximetry is a noninvasive test that when
14performed on newborns is effective in detecting critical,
15life-threatening congenital heart defects that go undetected
16by current screening methods.

17Section 3. Definitions.

18The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
19have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
20context clearly indicates otherwise:

21"Birthing facility." An inpatient or ambulatory health care
22facility licensed by the department that provides birthing and
23newborn care services.

24"Department." The Department of Health of the Commonwealth.

25"Newborn child." A child less than 28 days of age.

26Section 4. Pulse Oximetry Screening.

27(a) General rule.--Except as provided for in subsection (b),
28the department shall require a birthing facility to perform a
29critical congenital heart defects screening using pulse oximetry
30on a newborn child in its care before discharge from the

1birthing facility.

2(b) Exception.--A screening test under subsection (a) may
3not be performed if a parent or guardian of the newborn child
4dissents on the ground that the test conflicts with a religious
5belief or practice.

6Section 5. Regulations.

7The department shall promulgate regulations necessary to
8effectuate the provisions of this act.

9Section 6. Effective date.

10This act shall take effect in 90 days.