(410 ILCS 213/5)

Sec. 5. Mandatory hearing screening.

(a) Each medical care facility shall conduct bilateral hearing screening of each newborn infant prior to discharge unless medically contraindicated or the infant is transferred to another hospital before the hearing screening can be completed. If the infant is transferred to another hospital prior to completion of the hearing screening, the hospital to which the infant is transferred shall complete the hearing screening prior to discharge. All medical care facilities shall make provisions for an outpatient screening for infants born outside a medical care facility.

(b) The facility performing the hearing screening shall report the results of the hearing screening to the Department within 7 days of screening.

If there is no hearing screening result or an infant does not pass the hearing screening in both ears at the same time, the medical care facility shall refer the infant's parents or guardians to a health care practitioner for follow-up, and document and report the referral, including the name of the health care practitioner, to the Department in a format determined by the Department.

For infants born outside a medical care facility, the newborn's primary care provider shall refer the patient to a medical care facility for the hearing screening to be done in compliance with this Section within 30 days after birth, unless a different time period is medically indicated.

(c) Follow-up to hearing screening includes:

(1) for newborns, infants, and children with confirmed hearing loss, making the audiological, medical, language and communication, aural habilitation, parent-to-parent support, and intervention referrals and documenting the referrals and outcomes to the Department or in the State's designated data system; and

(2) for newborns, infants, and children with a confirmed hearing loss, audiologists, early intervention programs and providers, parent-to-parent support programs, the Department of Human Services, and the University of Illinois at Chicago Division of Specialized Care for Children reporting screening, diagnosis, amplification, and intervention outcomes to the Department.

(Source: P.A. 99-834, eff. 8-19-16.)