BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

 

C.S.H.B. 2255

By: Darby

Public Health

Committee Report (Substituted)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

Concerns have been raised regarding the accuracy of information provided by birthing facilities that operate a certified newborn hearing screening, tracking, and intervention program to parents of newborns and infants who do not pass hearing screenings. C.S.H.B. 2255 seeks to better inform these parents about certain resources available to them.

 

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 rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission in SECTION 4 of this bill.

 

ANALYSIS

 

C.S.H.B. 2255 amends the Health and Safety Code to require a certified newborn hearing screening, tracking, and intervention program that performs a follow-up hearing screening that a newborn or an infant does not pass to provide the screening results to the Texas School for the Deaf with the prior written consent of the newborn's or infant's parents and refer the newborn or infant to the school. The bill requires a birthing facility that operates such a program to simultaneously distribute to the parents of each newborn or infant who is screened the screening results and informational materials relating to available public resources, including early childhood intervention services, the Texas School for the Deaf, and contact information for Texas Early Hearing Detection and Intervention. The bill requires the Department of State Health Services to make such informational materials available to the public on request. The bill requires a birthing facility that operates such a program to report screening results to the Texas School for the Deaf.

 

C.S.H.B. 2255 requires the guidelines developed by the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission to protect the confidentiality of patients to require the written consent of a parent or guardian of a patient before any individually identifying information is provided to the Texas School for the Deaf and requires the school to permit a parent or guardian at any time to withdraw information provided to the school under statutory provisions relating to hearing loss in newborns. The bill requires the executive commissioner to adopt rules as necessary to implement the bill's provisions. 

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

September 1, 2019.

 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

 

C.S.H.B. 2255 differs from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways by conforming to certain bill drafting conventions.