HR 1344 RFS
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 So-
cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 701 et seq.) (Ma-
ternal 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 in-
dividuals who are deaf and hard-of-hearing and 
their families; 
‘‘(D) appropriate national medical and 
other health and education specialty organiza-
tions; 
‘‘(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 special-
ized knowledge, skills, and attributes needed to 
serve deaf and hard-of-hearing newborns, in-
fants, toddlers, children, and their families; 
‘‘(G) third-party payers and managed-care 
organizations; and 
‘‘(H) related commercial industries. 
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‘‘(2) POLICY
DEVELOPMENT.—The Adminis-
trator of the Health Resources and Services Admin-
istration, the Director of the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, and the Director of the Na-
tional Institutes of Health shall coordinate and col-
laborate 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 organiza-
tions, 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 Re-
sources and Services Administration and the Direc-
tor of the Centers for Disease Control and Preven-
tion shall coordinate and collaborate in assisting 
States— 
‘‘(A) to establish newborn, infant, and 
young childhood hearing screening, evaluation, 
diagnosis, and intervention programs and sys-
tems under subsection (a); and 
‘‘(B) to develop a data collection system 
under subsection (b). 
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‘‘(d) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION; RELIGIOUS ACCOM-
MODATION.—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 con-
flicts with the parents’ religious beliefs. 
‘‘(e) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘audiologic’, when used in con-
nection 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 com-
munication; 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 agen-
cies; 
‘‘(ii) medical evaluation; 
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‘‘(iii) hearing aid/sensory aid assess-
ment; 
‘‘(iv) audiologic rehabilitation treat-
ment; and 
‘‘(v) referral to national and local con-
sumer, self-help, parent, and education or-
ganizations, 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, con-
sumer-oriented information about the full 
range of family support, training, informa-
tion services, and language and commu-
nication options; and 
‘‘(ii) given the opportunity to consider 
and obtain the full range of such appro-
priate 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 his-
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tory, examination, and medical decisionmaking fo-
cused on symptomatic and related body systems for 
the purpose of diagnosing the etiology of hearing 
loss and related physical conditions, and for identi-
fying 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 treat-
ment options for hearing loss or related medical dis-
orders. 
‘‘(5) The term ‘newborn, infant, and young 
childhood hearing screening’ refers to objective phys-
iologic procedures to detect possible hearing loss and 
to identify newborns, infants, and young children 
who require further audiologic evaluations and med-
ical evaluations. 
‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) STATEWIDE
NEWBORN, 
INFANT, 
AND 
YOUNG CHILDHOOD HEARING SCREENING, EVALUA-
TION
AND
INTERVENTION
PROGRAMS
AND
SYS-
TEMS.—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. 
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‘‘(2) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, DATA MANAGE-
MENT, AND APPLIED RESEARCH; CENTERS FOR DIS-
EASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION.—For the purpose 
of carrying out subsection (b)(1), there is authorized 
to be appropriated to the Centers for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention $10,800,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2016 through 2020. 
‘‘(3) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, DATA MANAGE-
MENT, AND APPLIED RESEARCH; NATIONAL INSTI-
TUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION 
DISORDERS.—No additional funds are authorized to 
be appropriated for the purpose of carrying out sub-
section (b)(2). Such subsection shall be carried out 
using funds which are otherwise authorized (under 
section 402A or other provisions of law) to be appro-
priated for such purpose.’’. 
Passed the House of Representatives September 8, 
2015. 
Attest: 
KAREN L. HAAS, 
Clerk. 
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