00                            SENATE BILL NO. 68                                                                          
01 "An Act relating to newborn hearing screening."                                                                         
02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
03    * Section 1.  AS 47.20 is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                 
04            Sec. 47.20.095.  Newborn hearing screening.  (a)  The physician in                                         
05       attendance at or immediately after the birth of a child in a hospital in this state, or, if a                     
06       physician is not in attendance at or immediately after the birth, the person attending                            
07       the newborn child in a hospital in this state, shall, unless medically contraindicated,                           
08       cause the child to be tested to determine whether the child has a potential hearing                               
09       impairment using the methods determined by the department under (c) of this section.                              
10       Unless medically contraindicated, the screening shall occur before the newborn is                                 
11       released from the hospital or before the infant is 30 days old, whichever is earlier.                             
12       Each birthing center that provides maternity and newborn care services shall provide                              
13       that each newborn in the center's care is referred for an appointment to a licensed                               
14       audiologist or to a hospital or other newborn hearing screening provider before                                   
15       discharge.  Unless medically contraindicated, the screening shall occur before the                                

01       infant is 30 days old.                                                                                            
02            (b)  If it is determined by testing that a newborn child may have a hearing                                  
03       impairment, the physician or other person who is required under (a) of this section to                            
04       cause the child to be tested shall                                                                                
05                 (1)  refer the child for confirmatory testing; and                                                      
06                 (2)  make reasonable efforts to promptly notify the child's parent that                                 
07       the child may have a hearing impairment and explain to the parent the potential effect                            
08       of the impairment on the development of the child's speech and language skills.                                   
09            (c)  The hearing testing required under this section shall use protocols                                     
10       established by the department.  At a minimum, the protocols must include the use of at                            
11       least one of the following physiologic technologies:  automated or diagnostic auditory                            
12       brainstem response (ABR) or otoacoustic emissions (OAE).  The department shall                                    
13       consider updating the protocols as information is provided to the department that new                             
14       physiologic technologies or improvements to existing physiologic technologies will                                
15       substantially enhance newborn and infant hearing assessment.