MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2024 Regular Session

To: Public Health and Human Services

By: Representative Horne

House Bill 946

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 41-21-201, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO INCLUDE CYTOMEGALOVIRUS (CMV) IN THE CONDITIONS TESTED FOR IN THE COMPREHENSIVE NEWBORN SCREENING PROGRAM; 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, cytomegalovirus (CMV) 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.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2024.