House Bill 927

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 41-21-201, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE THE CONDITIONS TESTED FOR IN THE COMPREHENSIVE NEWBORN SCREENING PROGRAM TO INCLUDE THOSE CONDITIONS THAT ARE LISTED ON THE RECOMMENDED UNIFORM SCREENING PANEL (RUSP); TO REQUIRE THE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH TO ENSURE THAT EACH CONDITION LISTED ON THE RUSP IS INCLUDED IN THE NEWBORN SCREENING PROGRAM WITHIN THREE YEARS AFTER BEING ADDED TO THE RUSP; TO PROVIDE THAT IF THE DEPARTMENT DOES NOT INCLUDE A RUSP-LISTED CONDITION IN THE NEWBORN SCREENING PROGRAM WITHIN THREE YEARS, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROVIDE A REPORT ON THE STATUS AND REASONS FOR THE DELAY TO THE HOUSE AND SENATE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEES ONCE A YEAR AFTER THE THREE-YEAR PERIOD; TO AMEND SECTION 41-21-203, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CONFORM TO THE PRECEDING PROVISIONS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 41-21-201, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

41-21-201. (1) The State Department of Health shall establish, maintain and carry out a comprehensive newborn screening program designed to detect hypothyroidism, phenylketonuria (PKU), hemoglobinopathy, congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), galactosemia, any other conditions listed on the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP), and such other conditions as specified by the State Board of Health * * *. The State Board of Health shall ensure that each condition listed on the RUSP is included in the comprehensive newborn screening program within three (3) years after being added to the RUSP and shall adopt any rules and regulations necessary to accomplish the program. If the department does not include a RUSP-listed condition in the comprehensive newborn screening program within three (3) years, the department shall provide a report on the status and reasons for the delay to the House and Senate Public Health Committees once a year after the three-year period.

(2) The State Board of Health shall determine and specify the conditions that will be included in the comprehensive newborn screening program in addition to those conditions named in subsection (1) of this section and any other conditions listed on the RUSP, upon the advice and recommendations of a genetics advisory committee * * *. The advisory committee shall be appointed by the Executive Director of the State Department of Health, and shall include at least two (2) pediatricians and one (1) consumer representative from a family that has experience with a newborn infant with an abnormal screening test. The State Department of Health shall maintain a list of each of the conditions included in the comprehensive newborn screening program, which shall be made available to physicians and other health care providers who are required to provide for newborn screening testing under Section 41-21-203.

(3) The State Department of Health shall develop information materials about newborn screening tests that are available, which may be used by physicians and other health care providers to inform pregnant women and parents.

SECTION 2. Section 41-21-203, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

41-21-203. (1) All newborn infants shall be screened by the physician or other health care provider attending the infant, using tests that have been approved by the State Board of Health, to detect those conditions listed in Section 41-21-201, any other conditions listed on the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP), and the other conditions specified by the State Board of Health for the comprehensive newborn screening program. However, no such tests shall be given to any child whose parents object thereto on the grounds that the test conflicts with his religious practices or tenets. The tests provided under the comprehensive newborn screening program shall be evaluated in laboratories located in the United States. The State Department of Health shall follow up all positive tests with the attending physician or other health care provider who notified the department thereof, and with the parents of the newborn child. The services and facilities of the State Department of Health and those of other state boards, departments and agencies cooperating with the State Department of Health in carrying out the comprehensive newborn screening program shall be made available to all newborn infants with abnormal screening tests.

(2) The State Department of Health shall provide ongoing epidemiologic surveillance of the comprehensive newborn screening program to determine the efficacy and cost effectiveness of screening newborn infants.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2022.