00                      CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 87(HSS)                                                                    
01 "An Act requiring screening of newborns for congenital heart defects; and providing for                                 
02 an effective date."                                                                                                     
03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
04    * Section 1. AS 18.15 is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                  
05            Sec. 18.15.205. Screening for congenital heart disease. (a) A provider of                                  
06       birthing services who attends a birth in the state shall ensure that, as close to 24 hours                        
07       after the birth as feasible, screening for congenital heart defects through pulse                                 
08       oximetry equipment and methods appropriate for use on a newborn are performed on                                  
09       the newborn, unless screening is refused under (d) of this section.                                               
10            (b)  A provider of birthing services who attends a birth in the state shall, as                              
11       soon as possible after screening conducted under (a) of this section, make a referral for                         
12       confirmatory testing on a newborn whose pulse oximetry results are abnormal and                                   
13       provide advice to the parent or legal guardian regarding the need for appropriate                                 
14       interventions.                                                                                                    

01            (c)  The provider who performs pulse oximetry screening under (a) of this                                    
02       section shall report to the parents and attending physicians of the newborn and to the                            
03       department the results of screening.                                                                              
04            (d)  Before performing screening for congenital heart disease under (a) of this                              
05       section, a provider of birthing services shall provide to a parent or legal guardian of a                         
06       newborn information on the screening and the option to refuse the screening.                                      
07            (e)  The department shall establish procedures for submitting reports of                                     
08       newborn screening results to the department and for summarizing reported data.                                    
09            (f)  In this section, "provider of birthing services" means a physician, midwife,                            
10       nurse, or other qualified professional who attends the delivery of a newborn in the                               
11       course of the provider's practice.                                                                                
12    * Sec. 2. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to                          
13 read:                                                                                                                   
14       APPLICABILITY. AS 18.15.205, enacted by sec. 1 of this Act, does not apply to a                                   
15 provider of birthing services who attends fewer than 20 births a year in the state until                                
16 January 1, 2016.                                                                                                        
17    * Sec. 3. This Act takes effect January 1, 2014.