Bill > S1014

This bill updates Idaho's legal framework for newborn health screenings and procedures, focusing on comprehensive testing and specimen collection protocols. It amends the chapter heading to emphasize preventable diseases in infants and newborns, and introduces detailed requirements for medical professionals and institutions regarding newborn screenings. The bill mandates that hospitals, healthcare facilities, and birth attendants perform specific tests for conditions like biotinidase deficiency, congenital hypothyroidism, critical congenital heart disease (CCHD), galactosemia, maple syrup urine disease, and phenylketonuria. It establishes precise guidelines for collecting dried blood specimens, specifying the timing of collections (typically between 24-48 hours after birth and again between 10-15 days), and requires detailed record-keeping and reporting of screening results. The bill also maintains a religious exemption clause allowing parents to opt out of screenings based on religious beliefs and sets an implementation date of July 1, 2025, with provisions to nullify existing administrative rules related to newborn screenings. Additionally, the bill requires ocular antibiotic prophylaxis for newborns to prevent gonococcal ophthalmia neonatorum and mandates that healthcare providers document these screenings and treatments.

Health and Social Services, Justice

Health and Welfare Committee (S)

https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2025/legislation/S1014/