California Assembly Bill AB1307 Introduced / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 1307INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Buchanan FEBRUARY 27, 2009 An act to amend Section 125001 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to newborn screening, and making an appropriation thereof. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1307, as introduced, Buchanan. Newborn genetic screening. Existing law requires that the State Department of Public Health establish a statewide program for the screening of newborns for specified genetic disorders, including tandem mass spectrometry screening for fatty acid oxidation, amino acid, and organic acid disorders and congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Existing law creates the Genetic Disease Testing Fund in the State Treasury, which is used to fund the newborn screening program. This bill would, instead, require the statewide screening program to include all conditions recommended by the American College of Medical Genetics as of January 1, 2010. Because this bill would expand the purposes of the screening program it constitutes an appropriation. Vote: majority. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 125001 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read: 125001. (a) The department shall establish a program for the development, provision, and evaluation of genetic disease testing, and may provide laboratory testing facilities or make grants to, contract with, or make payments to, any laboratory that it deems qualified and cost-effective to conduct testing or with any metabolic specialty clinic to provide necessary treatment with qualified specialists. The program shall provide genetic screening and followup services for persons who have the screening. (b) The department shall expand statewide screening of newborns to include  tandem mass spectrometry screening for fatty acid oxidation, amino acid, and organic acid disorders and congenital adrenal hyperplasia   all conditions recommended by the American College of Medical Genetics as of January 1, 2010,  as soon as possible. The department shall provide information with respect to these disorders and available testing resources to all women receiving prenatal care and to all women admitted to a hospital for delivery. If the department is unable to provide this statewide screening by August 1, 2005, the department shall temporarily obtain these testing services through a competitive bid process from one or more public or private laboratories that meet the department's requirements for testing, quality assurance, and reporting. If the department determines that contracting for these services is more cost-effective, and meets the other requirements of this chapter, than purchasing the tandem mass spectrometry equipment themselves, the department shall contract with one or more public or private laboratories. (c) The department shall report to the Legislature regarding the progress of the program on or before July 1, 2006. The report shall include the costs for screening, followup, and treatment as compared to costs and morbidity averted for each condition tested for in the program.