As explained in New Requirements for Physicians or Persons Attending the Birth of a Newborn, HB 1672 (81st Session) includes important new requirements for the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Newborn Screening Program and newborn screening healthcare providers.

What does that mean for me?
Beginning August 1, 2009, the following interim process will be used until the existing stock of newborn screening collection kits has been depleted:

• The physician or other person attending the birth must ensure that the disclosure form, F14-13230, is given to the parent, managing conservator or legal guardian of the newborn and verify the disclosure information was provided.

• Once the current stocks of collection kits are distributed under this interim process, collection kits that have been redesigned as described in HB 1672 will begin to be distributed.  This is expected to be approximately April of 2010.

• DSHS will provide labels, with newborn screening collection kit orders or by provider request, that are pre-printed with a check box to indicate that the disclosure form has been provided to the parent, managing conservator, or legal guardian. For any collection kits currently in stock, healthcare providers will be asked to place the pre-printed label (provided by DSHS) on the lower right portion of the demographic form before sending the specimen back to DSHS for testing. See example (PDF 120kb).

NOTE: To request additional labels for collection kits already in stock, please send an email to containerprepgroup@dshs.state.tx.us including the quantity of labels requested, the NBS submitter ID number, and the ship to address.

• New Requirements for Physicians or Persons Attending the Birth of a Newborn

• NBS Sample Usage Packet (PDF 110kb), includes:
  • Brief summary of new legislation (HB 1672) including healthcare provider responsibilities
  • Laboratory interim and long term plan to address the new legislation
  • Example of specimen demographic form with provisional sticker placement

• Use and Storage of Newborn Screening Blood Spot Cards (PDF 40kb)
• Uso y almacenamiento de tarjetas de recogida de gotas de sangre para pruebas de detección en recién nacidos (PDF 41kb)
• Sử Dụng và Bảo Quản Các Thẻ Xét Nghiệm Máu Trẻ Sơ Sinh (PDF 269kb)

• http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/81R/billtext/html/HB01672F.htm

If you have questions regarding the storage policy or Newborn Screening Laboratory processes, please contact the DSHS.

Texas Department of State Health Services
Newborn Screening Laboratory, MC 1947
PO Box 149347
Austin, TX  78714-9347

(512) 458-7333
(888) 963-7111, ext. 7333 toll free