00                            HOUSE BILL NO. 184                                                                          
01 "An Act requiring screening of newborns for congenital heart defects."                                                  
02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
03    * Section 1. AS 18.15 is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                  
04            Sec. 18.15.205. Screening for congenital heart disease. (a) A health care                                
05       facility licensed in the state that provides birthing services shall ensure that, at least 24                     
06       hours after birth and before discharge from the facility, screening for congenital heart                          
07       defects through pulse oximetry is performed on all newborns born at the facility.                                 
08            (b)  The attending physician, direct-entry midwife, or other qualified health                                
09       care professional at a birth in a health care facility in the state shall immediately order                       
10       or perform confirmatory testing and intervention on a newborn whose pulse oximetry                                
11       results are abnormal.                                                                                             
12            (c)  The health care facility in which pulse oximetry screening under (a) of this                            
13       section is performed shall annually report to the department the results of screening.