BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 1285
88R7148 EAS-F	By: Johnson
	Health & Human Services
	4/24/2023
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV), a leading cause of non-genetic childhood hearing loss, is a viral infection that can pass from a pregnant mother to her baby. While the 360,000 Texas babies born each year receive an infant hearing screening test, they are not routinely tested for cCMV. Without testing, children with cCMV are rarely identified, because 90 percent of women are unaware of cCMV and babies with cCMV are often asymptomatic at birth. Testing and early intervention is critical, as children infected with cCMV can experience hearing loss and other serious neurodevelopmental disabilities later in life, which not only increases health care costs, but results in trauma for these children and their families.

Some children with cCMV will require cochlear implant surgery, which can cost up to $100,000 for both ears. Educational expenses for severe and profound hearing loss in children before age six cost an estimated $230,000, and the lifetime cost of cCMV is estimated to be $280,000 in direct healthcare costs and $926,000 in lost productivity. For every baby screened, between $50,000 to $93,000 is saved in healthcare costs. Approximately 1,800 babies are born with cCMV in Texas each year.

S.B. 1285 would require birthing facilities to perform a congenital cytomegalovirus test on each newborn before the newborn is discharged from the facility. Adding cCMV to the current list of conditions for which all Texas babies are screened can help identify these children so they can receive early intervention and treatment to mitigate long-term hearing loss. Technology has significantly improved in recent years, and this test can now be done as a simple, inexpensive add-on to a blood spot test (costing around $10/test). Early detection of cCMV will result in healthier babies and lower healthcare costs for parents, health plans, and the state Medicaid program.

As proposed, S.B. 1285 amends current law relating to newborn or infant testing for congenital cytomegalovirus.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends the heading to Section 47.003, Health and Safety Code, to read as follows:

Sec. 47.003. NEWBORN OR INFANT HEARING SCREENING, TRACKING, AND INTERVENTION PROGRAM; TESTING FOR CONGENITAL CYTOMEGALOVIRUS.

SECTION 2. Amends Section 47.003, Health and Safety Code, by amending Subsections (a), (a-1), and (c) and adding Subsection (g), as follows:

(a) Requires that a birthing facility, through a program certified by the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) under Section 47.004 (Certification of Screening Programs), perform, either directly or through a referral to another program certified under that section, a hearing screening for the identification of hearing loss and a test for congenital cytomegalovirus on each newborn or infant born at the facility before the newborn or infant is discharged from the facility unless certain criteria are met. Makes conforming changes.

(a-1) Requires that the birthing facility inform the parents during admission that:

(1) the facility is required by law to screen a newborn or infant for hearing loss and conduct a test for congenital cytomegalovirus; and

(2) the parents are authorized to decline both the screening and the test required under Subdivision (1).

(c) Requires DSHS, subject to Section 47.008 (Confidentiality and General Access to Data), to maintain data and information on each newborn or infant who receives a hearing screening or congenital cytomegalovirus test under Subsection (a).

(g) Defines "congenital cytomegalovirus."

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2023.