Bill > HB1625

This bill modifies Maryland's newborn screening program by adjusting how fees are set and how new conditions are added for testing. Specifically, it changes the language regarding fees for newborn screening tests, allowing the Department of Health to establish fees that are sufficient to cover administrative, laboratory, and follow-up costs, rather than a specific minimum or maximum amount. It also alters the process for adding new "core conditions" to the screening panel, which are diseases or disorders identified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Recommended Uniform Screening Panel. Instead of automatically requiring testing within a set timeframe after a condition is added, the bill mandates that the State Advisory Council on Hereditary and Congenital Disorders first advise the Department on the risks, harms, accessibility, and costs of testing for the new condition and then provide recommendations on whether to implement testing. The Department can then decide to implement, delay, or not implement testing after considering this advice, with specific reporting requirements to legislative committees if implementation is delayed beyond two years or not pursued. The bill also updates the reference date for the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel to January 1, 2026, and changes the reporting timeline for delays in implementing testing.