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An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Working Group To Study the Effectiveness and Timeliness of Early Identification and Intervention for Children with Hearing Loss in Maine
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §8822, sub-§4-A  is enacted to read:
 
4-A.  Follow-up appointment with an audiologist.   Upon the approval of a parent or legal guardian of a newborn who is screened and receives a screening result of "refer," the birthing hospital, birthing center, hospital or other medical facility in which the child was screened must schedule the newborn for a follow-up appointment with an audiologist. That follow-up appointment must be scheduled prior to discharge, when possible. The hospital, center or facility must notify the newborn's primary care provider in writing of the screening result and audiologist appointment. This notice must be prepared prior to discharge, when possible.
Sec. 2. Report on barriers to access to audiologists. The Newborn Hearing Program, established in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, chapter 1686 shall report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters on the results of its study of barriers to access to audiologists for the continued evaluation of hearing loss in newborns.
 
Effective July 18, 2008