AB 170: Newborn screening: genetic diseases: blood samples collected.

Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health to establish a program for the development, provision, and evaluation of genetic disease testing, and the program is required to provide genetic screening and followup services for persons who have the screening. The program includes statewide screening of newborn children through the collection of blood samples, unless the parent or guardian objects on the grounds of religious beliefs or practices.

This bill would require the department to provide information about the testing program, and to obtain a form signed by the parent or guardian acknowledging receiving information regarding the storage, retention, and use of the newborn childs blood sample for medical research. The bill would authorize a parent or guardian of a minor child, and the newborn child, once he or she is at least 18 years of age, to request that the department destroy the blood sample, not use it for research purposes, or both, and the bill would require the department to comply with the request. The bill would require the department, if the individual making a request to destroy the blood sample or to not use it for research purposes provides his or her e-mail address, to send an e-mail to the individual acknowledging that the department received the request. The bill would also require the department to prepare and provide informational materials regarding the same information about the newborn childs blood sample collected pursuant to the program, information on storage, retention, and use of the blood sample for medical research, and the right of specified persons to request that the blood sample be destroyed or not used for research purposes in a separate, single-page format. The bill would also require the department to prepare and provide a standard informational acceptance form, that includes, among other things, a brief, plain language explanation of, and the purpose for, the newborn child screening test and retention of newborn child blood samples. The bill would require the informational acceptance form to be provided to, and signed by, the parent or guardian when either version of the informational materials is provided. The bill would require specified persons to distribute the informational material and the informational acceptance form, including requiring the local registrar of births to provide a copy of the informational material and a copy of the standard informational acceptance form to each person registering the birth of a newborn that occurred outside of a perinatal licensed health facility, as specified. The bill would also require the local registrar to notify the local health officer and the department of each of these registrations by the local registrar. By imposing additional duties on local registrars of births, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.