[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 124, 111th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


Public Law 111-337
111th Congress

An Act


 
To amend the Public Health Service Act regarding early detection,
diagnosis, and treatment of hearing loss. <>

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 be cited as the ``Early Hearing Detection and
Intervention Act of 2010''.
SEC. 2. EARLY DETECTION, DIAGNOSIS, AND TREATMENT OF HEARING LOSS.

Section 399M of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280g-1) is
amended--
(1) in the section heading, by striking ``infants'' and
inserting ``newborns and infants'';
(2) in subsection (a)--
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by
striking ``screening, evaluation and intervention
programs and systems'' and inserting ``screening,
evaluation, diagnosis, and intervention programs and
systems, and to assist in the recruitment, retention,
education, and training of qualified personnel and
health care providers,'';
(B) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
``(1) To develop and monitor the efficacy of statewide
programs and systems for hearing screening of newborns and
infants; prompt evaluation and diagnosis of children referred
from screening programs; and appropriate educational,
audiological, and medical interventions for children identified
with hearing loss. Early intervention includes referral to and
delivery of information and services by schools and agencies,
including community, consumer, and parent-based agencies and
organizations 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, toddlers, and children. Programs and systems under this
paragraph shall establish and foster family-to-family support
mechanisms that are critical in the first months after a child
is identified with hearing loss.''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(3) Other activities may include developing efficient
models to ensure that newborns and infants who are identified
with a hearing loss through screening receive follow-up by a
qualified health care provider, and State agencies shall be
encouraged

[[Page 3589]]

to adopt models that effectively increase the rate of occurrence
of such follow-up.'';
(3) in subsection (b)(1)(A), by striking ``hearing loss
screening, evaluation, and intervention programs'' and inserting
``hearing loss screening, evaluation, diagnosis, and
intervention programs'';
(4) in paragraphs (2) and (3) of subsection (c), by striking
the term ``hearing screening, evaluation and intervention
programs'' each place such term appears and inserting ``hearing
screening, evaluation, diagnosis, and intervention programs'';
(5) in subsection (e)--
(A) in paragraph (3), by striking ``ensuring that
families of the child'' and all that follows and
inserting ``ensuring that families of the child are
provided comprehensive, consumer-oriented information
about the full range of family support, training,
information services, and language and communication
options and are 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.''; and
(B) in paragraph (6), by striking ``, after
rescreening,''; and
(6) in subsection (f)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``fiscal year
2002'' and inserting ``fiscal years 2011 through 2015'';
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``fiscal year
2002'' and inserting ``fiscal years 2011 through 2015'';
and
(C) in paragraph (3), by striking ``fiscal year
2002'' and inserting ``fiscal years 2011 through 2015''.

Approved December 22, 2010.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 3199 (H.R. 1246):
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HOUSE REPORTS: No. 111-44 (Comm. on Energy and Commerce) accompanying
H.R. 1246.
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 156 (2010):
Dec. 7, considered and passed Senate.
Dec. 15, considered and passed House.