Florida Senate - 2014                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. CS for SB 722
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì330142iÎ330142                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  03/25/2014           .                                
                                       .                                
                                       .                                
                                       .                                
       —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————




       —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
       la Portilla) recommended the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete lines 65 - 120
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 2. Paragraphs (i) and (k) of subsection (3) of
    6  section 383.145, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
    7         383.145 Newborn and infant hearing screening.—
    8         (3) REQUIREMENTS FOR SCREENING OF NEWBORNS; INSURANCE
    9  COVERAGE; REFERRAL FOR ONGOING SERVICES.—
   10         (i) By October 1, 2000, Newborn hearing screening must be
   11  conducted on all newborns in hospitals in this state on birth
   12  admission. When a newborn is delivered in a facility other than
   13  a hospital, the parents must be instructed on the importance of
   14  having the hearing screening performed and must be given
   15  information to assist them in having the screening performed
   16  within 3 months after the child’s birth.
   17         (k) A Any child who is diagnosed as having a permanent
   18  hearing impairment shall be referred to the primary care
   19  physician for medical management, treatment, and followup
   20  services. Furthermore, in accordance with Pub. L. No. 108-446
   21  105-17, Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities The Infants and
   22  Toddlers Program, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, a
   23  any child from birth to 36 months of age who is diagnosed as
   24  having a hearing impairment that requires ongoing special
   25  hearing services shall must be referred to the Children’s
   26  Medical Services Early Intervention Program serving the
   27  geographical area in which the child resides.
   28         Section 3. Section 383.146, Florida Statutes, is created to
   29  read:
   30         383.146 Infants and toddlers who are deaf or hard of
   31  hearing; notice of service providers.—
   32         (1) At the time that an audiologist diagnoses an infant or
   33  toddler as having a permanent hearing impairment, the
   34  audiologist or his or her designee shall ask the child’s parent
   35  or legal guardian if he or she would like to authorize the
   36  release of contact information in order to receive direct
   37  correspondence from qualified Early Steps providers that offer
   38  early intervention services and that specialize in serving
   39  children with hearing loss. A parent or legal guardian that
   40  wishes to receive the direct correspondence shall authorize the
   41  release of the contact information by signing a consent form.
   42         (2) The Department of Health shall post on its website a
   43  list of qualified Early Steps providers of early intervention
   44  services which specialize in serving children with hearing loss
   45  and which have notified the department of their interest to
   46  provide direct communication to families who wish to receive
   47  information about the services that they provide.
   48         (3) The audiologist or his or her designee shall send by
   49  secure transmission the consent form to those providers listed
   50  on the department’s website.
   51  
   52  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   53  And the title is amended as follows:
   54         Delete lines 8 - 20
   55  and insert:
   56         release; amending s. 383.145, F.S.; updating a cross
   57         reference; creating s. 383.146, F.S.; requiring an
   58         audiologist to provide an opportunity for the parent
   59         or legal guardian of an infant or toddler who is
   60         diagnosed with a hearing impairment to provide contact
   61         information so that he or she may receive information
   62         directly from specified service providers; requiring
   63         the Department of Health to post a list of certain
   64         service providers on the department website; requiring
   65         the audiologist or his or her designee to transmit a
   66         consent form to the providers listed on the department
   67         website; providing an effective date.