[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 128 (Tuesday, September 8, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H5794-H5796]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EARLY HEARING DETECTION AND INTERVENTION ACT OF 2015
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 1344) to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize
a program for early detection, diagnosis, and treatment regarding deaf
and hard-of-hearing newborns, infants, and young children, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1344
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may cited as the ``Early Hearing Detection and
Intervention Act of 2015''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds as follows:
(1) Deaf and hard-of-hearing newborns, infants, toddlers,
and young children require access to specialized early
intervention providers and programs in order to help them
meet their linguistic and cognitive potential.
(2) Families of deaf and hard-of-hearing newborns, infants,
toddlers, and young children benefit from comprehensive early
intervention programs that assist them in supporting their
child's development in all domains.
(3) Best practices principles for early intervention for
deaf and hard-of-hearing newborns, infants, toddlers, and
young children have been identified in a range of areas
including listening and spoken language and visual and signed
language acquisition, family-to-family support, support from
individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, progress
monitoring, and others.
(4) Effective hearing screening and early intervention
programs must be in place to identify hearing levels in deaf
and hard-of-hearing newborns, infants, toddlers, and young
children so that they may access appropriate early
intervention programs in a timely manner.
SEC. 3. REAUTHORIZATION OF PROGRAM FOR EARLY DETECTION,
DIAGNOSIS, AND TREATMENT REGARDING DEAF AND
HARD-OF-HEARING NEWBORNS, INFANTS, AND YOUNG
CHILDREN.
Section 399M of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
280g-1) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 399M. EARLY DETECTION, DIAGNOSIS, AND TREATMENT
REGARDING DEAF AND HARD-OF-HEARING NEWBORNS,
INFANTS, AND YOUNG CHILDREN.
``(a) Health Resources and Services Administration.--The
Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health
Resources and Services Administration, shall make awards of
grants or cooperative agreements to develop statewide
newborn, infant, and young childhood hearing screening,
diagnosis, evaluation, and intervention programs and systems,
and to assist in the recruitment, retention, education, and
training of qualified personnel and health care providers for
the following purposes:
``(1) To develop and monitor the efficacy of statewide
programs and systems for hearing screening of newborns,
infants, and young children, prompt evaluation and diagnosis
of children referred from screening programs, and appropriate
educational, audiological, and medical interventions for
children confirmed to be deaf or hard-of-hearing, consistent
with the following:
``(A) Early intervention includes referral to and delivery
of information and services by organizations such as schools
and agencies (including community, consumer, and parent-based
agencies), pediatric medical homes, and other programs
mandated by part C of the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act, which offer programs specifically designed to
meet the unique language and communication needs of deaf and
hard-of-hearing newborns, infants, and young children.
``(B) Information provided to parents must be accurate,
comprehensive, and, where appropriate, evidence-based,
allowing families to make important decisions for their child
in a timely way, including decisions relating to all possible
assistive hearing technologies (such as hearing aids,
cochlear implants, and osseointegrated devices) and
communication options (such as visual and sign language,
listening and spoken language, or both).
``(C) Programs and systems under this paragraph shall offer
mechanisms that foster family-to-family and deaf and hard-of-
hearing consumer-to-family supports.
``(2) To develop efficient models (both educational and
medical) to ensure that newborns, infants, and young children
who are identified through hearing screening receive followup
by qualified early intervention providers, qualified health
care providers, or pediatric medical homes (including by
encouraging State agencies to adopt such models).
``(3) To provide for a technical resource center in
conjunction with the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the
Health Resources and Services Administration--
``(A) to provide technical support and education for
States; and
``(B) to continue development and enhancement of State
early hearing detection and intervention programs.
``(b) Technical Assistance, Data Management, and Applied
Research.--
``(1) Centers for disease control and prevention.--The
Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, shall make awards of grants
or cooperative agreements to State agencies or their
designated entities for development, maintenance, and
improvement of data tracking and surveillance systems on
newborn, infant, and young childhood hearing screenings,
audiologic evaluations, medical evaluations, and intervention
services; to conduct applied research related to services and
outcomes, and provide technical assistance related to
newborn, infant, and young childhood hearing screening,
evaluation, and intervention programs, and information
systems; to ensure high-quality monitoring of hearing
screening, evaluation, and intervention programs and systems
for newborns, infants, and young children; and to coordinate
developing standardized procedures for data management and
assessing program and cost effectiveness. The awards under
the preceding sentence may be used--
``(A) to provide technical assistance on data collection
and management;
``(B) to study and report on the costs and effectiveness of
newborn, infant, and young childhood hearing screening,
evaluation, diagnosis, intervention programs, and systems;
``(C) to collect data and report on newborn, infant, and
young childhood hearing screening, evaluation, diagnosis, and
intervention programs and systems that can be used--
``(i) for applied research, program evaluation, and policy
development; and
``(ii) to answer issues of importance to State and national
policymakers;
``(D) to identify the causes and risk factors for
congenital hearing loss;
``(E) to study the effectiveness of newborn, infant, and
young childhood hearing screening, audiologic evaluations,
medical evaluations, and intervention programs and systems by
assessing the health, intellectual and social developmental,
cognitive, and hearing status of these children at school
age; and
``(F) to promote the integration, linkage, and
interoperability of data regarding early hearing loss and
multiple sources to increase information exchanges between
clinical care and public health including the ability of
States and territories to exchange and share data.
``(2) National institutes of health.--The Director of the
National Institutes of Health, acting through the Director of
the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication
Disorders, shall, for purposes of this section, continue a
program of research and development related to early hearing
detection and
[[Page H5795]]
intervention, including development of technologies and
clinical studies of screening methods, efficacy of
interventions, and related research.
``(c) Coordination and Collaboration.--
``(1) In general.--In carrying out programs under this
section, the Administrator of the Health Resources and
Services Administration, the Director of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, and the Director of the
National Institutes of Health shall collaborate and consult
with--
``(A) other Federal agencies;
``(B) State and local agencies, including those responsible
for early intervention services pursuant to title XIX of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) (Medicaid Early
and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment Program);
title XXI of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397aa et
seq.) (State Children's Health Insurance Program); title V of
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 701 et seq.) (Maternal and
Child Health Block Grant Program); and part C of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1431
et seq.);
``(C) consumer groups of and that serve individuals who are
deaf and hard-of-hearing and their families;
``(D) appropriate national medical and other health and
education specialty organizations;
``(E) persons who are deaf and hard-of-hearing and their
families;
``(F) other qualified professional personnel who are
proficient in deaf or hard-of-hearing children's language and
who possess the specialized knowledge, skills, and attributes
needed to serve deaf and hard-of-hearing newborns, infants,
toddlers, children, and their families;
``(G) third-party payers and managed-care organizations;
and
``(H) related commercial industries.
``(2) Policy development.--The Administrator of the Health
Resources and Services Administration, the Director of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Director
of the National Institutes of Health shall coordinate and
collaborate on recommendations for policy development at the
Federal and State levels and with the private sector,
including consumer, medical, and other health and education
professional-based organizations, with respect to newborn,
infant, and young childhood hearing screening, evaluation,
diagnosis, and intervention programs and systems.
``(3) State early detection, diagnosis, and intervention
programs and systems; data collection.--The Administrator of
the Health Resources and Services Administration and the
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
shall coordinate and collaborate in assisting States--
``(A) to establish newborn, infant, and young childhood
hearing screening, evaluation, diagnosis, and intervention
programs and systems under subsection (a); and
``(B) to develop a data collection system under subsection
(b).
``(d) Rule of Construction; Religious Accommodation.--
Nothing in this section shall be construed to preempt or
prohibit any State law, including State laws which do not
require the screening for hearing loss of newborns, infants,
or young children of parents who object to the screening on
the grounds that such screening conflicts with the parents'
religious beliefs.
``(e) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
``(1) The term `audiologic', when used in connection with
evaluation, refers to procedures--
``(A) to assess the status of the auditory system;
``(B) to establish the site of the auditory disorder, the
type and degree of hearing loss, and the potential effects of
hearing loss on communication; and
``(C) to identify appropriate treatment and referral
options, including--
``(i) linkage to State coordinating agencies under part C
of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C.
1431 et seq.) or other appropriate agencies;
``(ii) medical evaluation;
``(iii) hearing aid/sensory aid assessment;
``(iv) audiologic rehabilitation treatment; and
``(v) referral to national and local consumer, self-help,
parent, and education organizations, and other family-
centered services.
``(2) The term `early intervention' refers to--
``(A) providing appropriate services for the child who is
deaf or hard of hearing, including nonmedical services; and
``(B) ensuring the family of the child is--
``(i) provided comprehensive, consumer-oriented information
about the full range of family support, training, information
services, and language and communication options; and
``(ii) given the opportunity to consider and obtain the
full range of such appropriate services, educational and
program placements, and other options for their child from
highly qualified providers.
``(3) The term `medical evaluation' refers to key
components performed by a physician, including history,
examination, and medical decisionmaking focused on
symptomatic and related body systems for the purpose of
diagnosing the etiology of hearing loss and related physical
conditions, and for identifying appropriate treatment and
referral options.
``(4) The term `medical intervention' refers to the process
by which a physician provides medical diagnosis and direction
for medical or surgical treatment options for hearing loss or
related medical disorders.
``(5) The term `newborn, infant, and young childhood
hearing screening' refers to objective physiologic procedures
to detect possible hearing loss and to identify newborns,
infants, and young children who require further audiologic
evaluations and medical evaluations.
``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--
``(1) Statewide newborn, infant, and young childhood
hearing screening, evaluation and intervention programs and
systems.--For the purpose of carrying out subsection (a),
there is authorized to be appropriated to the Health
Resources and Services Administration $17,800,000 for each of
fiscal years 2016 through 2020.
``(2) Technical assistance, data management, and applied
research; centers for disease control and prevention.--For
the purpose of carrying out subsection (b)(1), there is
authorized to be appropriated to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention $10,800,000 for each of fiscal years
2016 through 2020.
``(3) Technical assistance, data management, and applied
research; national institute on deafness and other
communication disorders.--No additional funds are authorized
to be appropriated for the purpose of carrying out subsection
(b)(2). Such subsection shall be carried out using funds
which are otherwise authorized (under section 402A or other
provisions of law) to be appropriated for such purpose.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gene Green)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky.
General Leave
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
insert extraneous materials in the Record on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Kentucky?
There was no objection.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I am pleased that, today, the House is considering H.R. 1344, the
Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2015. This bipartisan
bill sets a strong precedent for working together on the many big
issues before Congress this month.
This bill, which I introduced along with Congresswoman Lois Capps,
reauthorizes the program for the early detection, diagnosis, and
treatment of deaf and hard of hearing newborns, infants, and young
children.
H.R. 1344 encourages hearing tests and intervention for newborn
babies. Through early detection, these children and their families can
be made aware of a child's hearing loss and given access to specialized
early intervention providers and programs in order to help children
meet their potential. This reauthorization increases the focus on loss
to followup. So those children whose hearing loss is identified don't
just stop with identification; they may go on to receive intervention,
treatment, or an introduction to deaf services.
This program has proven success. In 2000, only 40 percent of newborns
were screened for hearing loss. That number rose to just over 86
percent in 2011, and, today, the CDC reports that, roughly, 97 percent
of all infant children are screened for hearing loss.
In closing, I want to thank my colleague, Congresswoman Capps, for
her leadership over the years on this important bipartisan issue. I
urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1344 so we can continue these vital
services for newborn babies and young children.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
I rise in support of H.R. 1344, the Early Hearing Detection and
Intervention Act. This important legislation is led by Representatives
Lois Capps and Brett Guthrie, both members of our committee.
Beginning in 2000, Congress took steps to facilitate the development
of newborn and infant screening and intervention programs. This bill
reauthorizes and makes further improvements to the Early Hearing
Detection and Intervention Program, which supports detection and
treatment for hearing-impaired newborns and young children.
The early identification of a child's hearing loss increases the
likelihood that intervention and treatment services can successfully
prevent or limit developmental delays. Research shows that it can
significantly improve quality of life and education outcomes for
children with hearing impairments. The vast majority of deaf children
are born to parents who do not have impaired hearing and who,
therefore, may not be able to identify their children's conditions
early on. The outreach services provided for by the program
reauthorized in this bill may help ensure
[[Page H5796]]
that children and their parents receive appropriate screenings and
followup.
I want to thank Representatives Capps and Guthrie for their
leadership on this issue. I thank Chairman Upton, Ranking Member
Pallone, and Chairman Pitts for their work to advance this important
legislation. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1344, the Early
Hearing Detection and Intervention Act.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps), my colleague and a cosponsor
of the bill.
Mrs. CAPPS. I thank my colleague for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1344, the Early Hearing
Detection and Intervention Act, which I was so pleased to coauthor with
my colleague from Kentucky, Congressman Brett Guthrie.
Hearing loss in newborns is considered an invisible disability.
Almost 3 out of every 1,000 children in the United States are born deaf
or hard of hearing, and even more children lose their hearing later on
during childhood. When hearing loss is left undetected, it can impede
speech, language, and cognitive development; but we know that, when
hearing loss is caught early, children have much better outcomes. In
fact, early intervention can help children overcome hearing issues and
get them ready to learn on par with their peers.
That is exactly what the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act
does, pronounced ``Eddie.'' As it is commonly called, EHDI has helped
families in all 50 States and the District of Columbia identify
children in need of care early when interventions are most effective.
By all accounts, this program has worked. Since the implementation of
the EHDI program 15 years ago, we have seen a tremendous increase in
the number of newborns who are being screened for hearing loss. Back in
2000, when we first set up the EHDI program, only 44 percent of
newborns in the country were being screened for hearing loss. Now we
are screening newborns at a rate of over 96 percent. This is a
remarkable achievement, but our work is not done.
While it is important that all babies are screened for hearing loss,
it is just as important that those babies who do not pass this
screening receive a diagnostic evaluation and be connected to early
intervention programs. Unfortunately, according to the Centers for
Disease Control, 36 percent of newborns who fail their initial hearing
screenings are not receiving appropriate followup care. This
reauthorization effort will focus on those children, helping to bridge
the gap between screening and intervention.
My background is as a school nurse for over 20 years, and I have
worked with so many students who were lagging behind their classmates
due to undiagnosed or untreated hearing loss.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. I yield the gentlewoman an additional 30
seconds.
Mrs. CAPPS. These children did not need to suffer. We can and must
help them succeed through stronger investments in followup and
interventions, such as sign language training, hearing aids, and
speech-language development. Early identification and intervention are
both keys to a child's well-being.
Our legislation would ensure that these programs are there for the
children who need them. A vote for this bill is a vote to keep this
program strong. I urge my colleagues to support our bipartisan bill.
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I urge the support of this
bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I thank my friend from
California (Mrs. Capps) so much for our working together to move this
bipartisan bill forward. I thank our subcommittee ranking member, Mr.
Green, and our chairman, Chairman Pitts.
I was involved in this effort in Kentucky when I was in the State
Senate. I have seen the difference that it makes, and I am glad to be
involved in this on a national level. Knowing that 97 percent of our
babies are screened so they can get intervention and treatment very
early in their lives makes a big difference. I am proud to be a part of
this, and I urge my colleagues to vote for H.R. 1344.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 1344, the ``Early Hearing
Detection and Intervention Act of 2015'' introduced by my colleagues
Representatives Capps and Guthrie.
H.R. 1344, would reauthorize the Early Hearing Detection and
Intervention Program. Prior to the creation of this program, less than
50 percent of all newborns were regularly screened for hearing loss.
I'm proud to say that thanks to this program about 97 percent of
newborns now receive a hearing screening. Through this program,
children gain early access to interventions and treatments that are
critical in minimizing a hearing-impaired child's risk of developmental
delays, especially communication, social skills and cognition. H.R.
1344 would ensure that we continue to support this valuable public
health program that has a proven track record of success.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 1344, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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