Senate Committee Advances Newborn Hearing Screening Bill
July 11, 2022
The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee has advanced a bill that would extend newborn hearing screening programs set to expire later this year. The bill now moves to the full U.S. Senate for consideration, following passage of a similar House bill last year.
The bill, the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Act (S. 4052), would renew federally supported, state-based newborn hearing screening programs through fiscal year 2027. These programs facilitate newborn hearing screening and diagnosis and connect families of children with hearing loss to early intervention services.
Specifically, the bill:
authorizes funding for Health Resources and Services Administration grants to provide resources and support for state-based EHDI programs;
establishes funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide technical surveillance and assistance to ensure the success of state EHDI programs; and
requires a Government Accountability Office study, that ASHA proposed, to reduce disparities in pediatric hearing health care, particularly for individuals from historically underserved populations.
Learn more about the bill and how you can support efforts to ensure the success of EHDI programs.
Questions?
Contact Josh Krantz, ASHA’s director of federal affairs, health care, at jkrantz@asha.org.
