PRINTER'S NO. 622
No. 596 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY E. Z. TAYLOR, VANCE, SCHRODER, S. MILLER, ADOLPH, BAKER, BASTIAN, BEBKO-JONES, BELARDI, BENNINGHOFF, BROWNE, CAPPABIANCA, CIVERA, CLARK, L. I. COHEN, CURRY, DAILEY, DeLUCA, EGOLF, FAIRCHILD, GEIST, GEORGE, GIGLIOTTI, GRUCELA, HARHAI, HENNESSEY, HUTCHINSON, JAMES, JOSEPHS, KELLER, KENNEY, LAUGHLIN, LEDERER, LYNCH, MAHER, MANDERINO, McILHINNEY, MELIO, NAILOR, ORIE, PESCI, PRESTON, RAMOS, RAYMOND, ROSS, RUBLEY, RUFFING, SATHER, SAYLOR, SERAFINI, SEYFERT, SHANER, STABACK, STEELMAN, STERN, TIGUE, TRUE, TULLI, WILLIAMS, WOJNAROSKI AND YOUNGBLOOD, FEBRUARY 16, 1999
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, FEBRUARY 16, 1999
AN ACT 1 Amending the act of September 9, 1965 (P.L.497, No.251), 2 entitled "An act requiring physicians, hospitals and other 3 institutions to administer or cause to be administered tests 4 for phenylketonuria and other metabolic diseases upon infants 5 in certain cases," further providing for newborn child 6 screening and testing. 7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 8 hereby enacts as follows: 9 Section 1. Section 3 of the act of September 9, 1965 10 (P.L.497, No.251), known as the Newborn Child Testing Act, added 11 July 9, 1992 (P.L.398, No.86), is amended to read: 12 Section 3. Newborn Child Screening and Follow-up Program.-- 13 (a) In order to assist health care providers to determine 14 whether treatment or other services are necessary to avert 15 mental retardation, permanent disabilities or death, the
1 department, with the approval of the board, shall establish a 2 program providing for: 3 (1) The screening tests of newborn children for diseases. 4 (2) Follow-up services relating to confirmatory testing, 5 assessment and diagnosis of newborn children with abnormal or 6 inconclusive screening test results. 7 (b) The department, with the approval of the board, shall 8 establish by regulation those diseases, in addition to 9 phenylketonuria (PKU), maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) [and], 10 sickle-cell disease (hemoglobinopathies) and galactosemia, for 11 which newborn children shall be tested and the methods for 12 testing and disseminating test results. 13 (c) No screening test shall be performed if a parent or 14 guardian dissents on the ground that the test conflicts with a 15 religious belief or practice. 16 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days. A27L35SFL/19990H0596B0622 - 2 -