BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2478

By: Klick

Public Health

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Department of State Health Services (DSHS) reports using its public health laboratory to screen the nearly 400,000 infants born in Texas each year for 57 different medical conditions. In conducting these screenings, state law requires DSHS to follow the federal Recommended Uniform Screening Panel as state funding allows. In 2019, the 86th Texas Legislature established a dedicated account for newborn screenings to provide a consistent and long-term funding stream to maintain current laboratory testing and keep up with recommended screenings. DSHS currently must submit a report to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and applicable legislative committees if money appropriated from the newborn screening preservation account is used to add an additional newborn screening test. DSHS does not report information related to a recommended screening test that has not yet been added. H.B. 2478 seeks to replace the current reporting requirement with an annual report listing the core conditions for which testing is recommended in the federal Recommended Uniform Screening Panel but for which DSHS does not currently test.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2478 repeals Health and Safety Code provisions requiring the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to prepare and submit a written report each even-numbered year providing certain information about additional newborn screening tests funded with money appropriated from the newborn screening preservation account to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and each applicable standing legislative committee.

H.B. 2478 amends the Health and Safety Code to require DSHS to prepare and submit instead to those same recipients not later than September 1 of each year a written report for each newborn screening test that screens for a disorder listed as a core condition in the federal Recommended Uniform Screening Panel or another applicable report and that is not currently required by DSHS. The report must contain the following:

· an identification of any additional program capacity or resources DSHS would need to implement the additional test and to require each newborn in Texas to receive the test; and

· a summarization of the plan for implementing and requiring the additional test, including an identification of any potential barriers to implementation and the anticipated implementation date.

The bill requires the report to include, as part of that plan, information on whether DSHS is capable of implementing the additional test within a 24-month period.

H.B. 2478 repeals Section 33.054, Health and Safety Code.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.