00                            SENATE BILL NO. 87                                                                          
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 health care                                  
06       facility licensed in the state that provides birthing services shall ensure that, before                          
07       discharge from the facility, and as close to 24 hours after birth as is feasible, screening                       
08       for congenital heart defects through pulse oximetry equipment and methods                                         
09       appropriate for use on a newborn are performed on a newborn born at the facility,                                 
10       unless screening is refused under (d) of this section.                                                            
11            (b)  The attending physician, direct-entry midwife, or other qualified health                                
12       care professional at a birth in a health care facility in the state shall, before discharge                       
13       from the facility, order or perform confirmatory testing on a newborn whose pulse                                 
14       oximetry results are abnormal and provide advice to the parent or legal guardian                                  

01       regarding the need for appropriate interventions.                                                                 
02            (c)  The health care facility in which pulse oximetry screening under (a) of this                            
03       section is performed shall report to the parents and attending physicians of the                                  
04       newborn and to the department the results of screening, confirmatory testing, and                                 
05       interventions.                                                                                                    
06            (d)  Before performing screening or confirmatory testing for congenital heart                                
07       disease under (a) or (b) of this section, a health care professional at the health care                           
08       facility performing the screening or testing shall provide to a parent or legal guardian                          
09       of a newborn information on the screening or testing and the option to refuse the                                 
10       screening or testing.                                                                                             
11            (e)  The department shall establish procedures for submitting reports of                                     
12       newborn screening and testing results to the department, including the number of                                  
13       refusals, and for collecting and analyzing data that have been reported.                                          
14    * Sec. 2. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to                          
15 read:                                                                                                                   
16       APPLICABILITY. AS 18.15.205, enacted by sec. 1 of this Act, does not apply to a                                   
17 licensed health care facility in the state that provides birthing services and that has fewer than                      
18 50 beds until January 1, 2016.                                                                                          
19    * Sec. 3. This Act takes effect January 1, 2014.