BILL NUMBER: AB 2072	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 27, 2010
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 13, 2010
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 5, 2010

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Mendoza

                        FEBRUARY 18, 2010

   An act to add Section 124121 to the Health and Safety Code,
relating to public health.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2072, as amended, Mendoza. Hearing screening: resources and
services.
   Existing law, the Newborn and Infant Hearing Screening, Tracking,
and Intervention Act, requires every general acute care hospital with
licensed perinatal services to offer every newborn a hearing
screening test for the identification of hearing loss, as specified,
and provide written information on the availability of community
resources and services for children with hearing loss to the parents
of those who are diagnosed with a hearing loss.
   Existing law, the California Early Start Intervention Services
Act, commonly known as the Early Start program, provides various
early intervention services for infants and toddlers who have
disabilities to enhance their development and to minimize the
potential for developmental delays.
   This bill would also require that parents of a newborn or infant
diagnosed with a hearing loss be provided written or electronic
information on specified communication options for children with
hearing loss by an audiologist or other related professional at a
followup appointment after diagnosis with a hearing loss, and by 
a local provider for  the Early Start Program upon initial
contact with the parents of a newborn or infant newly diagnosed with
a hearing loss. It would also specify that neither the state nor an
Early Start Program provider shall incur the cost of implementing
this bill.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 124121 is added to the Health and Safety Code,
to read:
   124121.  (a) Parents of all newborns and infants diagnosed with a
hearing loss shall also be provided written or electronic information
on American Sign Language (ASL), Total Communication, Cued Speech,
and Listening and Spoken Language communication options for children
with hearing loss, including, but not limited to, information about
deaf and hard-of-hearing organizations, agencies and early
intervention centers, and educational programs. The information shall
be provided:
   (1) By an audiologist or other related professional at a followup
appointment after diagnosis with a hearing loss.
   (2) By  a local provider for  the Early Start Program,
provided for pursuant to the California Early Intervention Services
Act (Title 14 (commencing with Section 95000) of the Government Code)
upon initial contact with the parents of a newborn or infant newly
diagnosed with a hearing loss.
   (b) Neither the state nor an Early Start Program provider shall
incur any cost for the implementation of this section.