SB39 Summary

• State Board of Health must require all licensed health care facilities to perform pulse oximetry screening on every newborn, a minimum of 24 hours after birth, to detect congenital heart defects (CHDs).

• Congenital heart disease affects approximately 7-9 of every 1,000 live births in the United States and Europe and is the leading cause of infant death due to birth defects.

• Current screening methods such as prenatal ultrasound and clinical exams detect less than half of all CHD cases, while pulse oximetry screening is more effective at detecting critical, life-threatening CHDs that would otherwise go undetected.

• State Board of Health shall adopt rules necessary to carry out the requirements of the act regarding newborn screening in conjunction with current CHD screening methods.

• Act becomes effective on the first day of the third month following passage and approval by the Governor.