Recent Legislative Developments

According to the National Center for Hearing Assessment & Management (NCHAM) at Utah State University, in March 1993 the National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference recommended that all newborn infants in the U.S. be screened for a potential hearing loss before being discharged from the hospital. As a result of this recommendation, to-date, 35 states have passed legislation to mandate the provision of hearing screening of newborn infants in their respective states.

The EAR Foundation of Arizona, partnering with The Arizona Department of Health Services, The March of Dimes and The Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing worked to successfully pass Senate Bill 1250 (SB1250) during the 2005 Arizona legislative session.

SB1250 expands newborn screening in Arizona to include up to 29 congenital disorders, including hearing loss. The legislative changes will insure that hospitals in Arizona continue to receive the technical assistance needed to maintain quality screening programs. The legislation also provides for a centralized system of follow-up at The Arizona Department of Health Services to ensure that infants with hearing loss born in Arizona are identified early, and receive appropriate intervention before six months of age.

For additional information regarding legislation, please go to these Internet sites:

http://www.infanthearing.org/legislative/
http://www.achi.state.az.us