Florida Senate - 2025                              CS for SB 524
       
       
        
       By the Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services;
       and Senator Harrell
       
       
       
       
       603-03443-25                                           2025524c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to newborn screenings; amending s.
    3         383.14, F.S.; subject to legislative appropriation and
    4         beginning on a specified date, requiring that the
    5         Department of Health’s rules require that newborns be
    6         screened for Duchenne muscular dystrophy at the
    7         appropriate age; providing an effective date.
    8          
    9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   10  
   11         Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
   12  383.14, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   13         383.14 Screening for metabolic disorders, other hereditary
   14  and congenital disorders, and environmental risk factors.—
   15         (2) RULES.—
   16         (a) After consultation with the Genetics and Newborn
   17  Screening Advisory Council, the department shall adopt and
   18  enforce rules requiring that every newborn in this state shall:
   19         1. Before becoming 1 week of age, have a blood specimen
   20  collected for newborn screenings;
   21         2. Be tested for any condition included on the federal
   22  Recommended Uniform Screening Panel which the council advises
   23  the department should be included under the state’s screening
   24  program. After the council recommends that a condition be
   25  included, the department shall submit a legislative budget
   26  request to seek an appropriation to add testing of the condition
   27  to the newborn screening program. The department shall expand
   28  statewide screening of newborns to include screening for such
   29  conditions within 18 months after the council renders such
   30  advice, if a test approved by the United States Food and Drug
   31  Administration or a test offered by an alternative vendor is
   32  available. If such a test is not available within 18 months
   33  after the council makes its recommendation, the department shall
   34  implement such screening as soon as a test offered by the United
   35  States Food and Drug Administration or by an alternative vendor
   36  is available; and
   37         3. At the appropriate age, be tested for such other
   38  metabolic diseases and hereditary or congenital disorders as the
   39  department may deem necessary. Subject to legislative
   40  appropriation, beginning January 1, 2027, the rules must require
   41  that newborns be screened for Duchenne muscular dystrophy at the
   42  appropriate age.
   43         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.