Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2022

Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2022

This act reauthorizes through FY2027 various activities carried out by the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders that support screening and early intervention services for newborns, infants, and young children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

The Government Accountability Office must also conduct a study of state early hearing detection and intervention programs, including with respect to disparities in accessing the programs.

[117th Congress Public Law 241]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 136 STAT. 2332]]

Public Law 117-241
117th Congress

                                 An Act


 
 To reauthorize a program for early detection, diagnosis, and treatment 
    regarding deaf and hard-of-hearing newborns, infants, and young 
 children, and for other purposes. <<NOTE: Dec. 20, 2022 -  [S. 4052]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Early Hearing 
Detection and Intervention Act of 2022.>> 
SECTION 1. <<NOTE: 42 USC 201 note.>>  SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Early Hearing Detection and 
Intervention Act of 2022''.
SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF PROGRAM FOR EARLY DETECTION, DIAGNOSIS, 
                    AND TREATMENT REGARDING DEAF AND HARD-OF-
                    HEARING NEWBORNS, INFANTS, AND YOUNG CHILDREN.

    Section 399M of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280g-1) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (e), by inserting ``(3)'' before ``The 
        term `medical evaluation' ''; and
            (2) in subsection (f)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``$17,818,000 for 
                fiscal year 2018, $18,173,800 for fiscal year 2019, 
                $18,628,145 for fiscal year 2020, $19,056,592 for fiscal 
                year 2021, and $19,522,758 for fiscal year 2022'' and 
                inserting ``$17,818,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 
                through 2027''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``$10,800,000 for 
                fiscal year 2018, $11,026,800 for fiscal year 2019, 
                $11,302,470 for fiscal year 2020, $11,562,427 for fiscal 
                year 2021, and $11,851,488 for fiscal year 2022'' and 
                inserting ``$10,760,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 
                through 2027''.
SEC. 3. GAO STUDY ON STATE EARLY HEARING DETECTION AND 
                    INTERVENTION PROGRAMS.

    (a) <<NOTE: Analyses.>>  In General.--The Comptroller General of the 
United States shall conduct a study reviewing State early hearing 
detection and intervention (in this section referred to as ``EHDI'') 
programs. Such study shall--
            (1) analyze how information collected through such programs 
        informs what is known about EHDI activities to ensure that 
        newborns, infants, and young children have access to timely 
        hearing screenings and early interventions, including 
        information on any disparities in such access;
            (2) analyze what is known about how parents use State EHDI 
        websites to seek health and programmatic guidance related to 
        their child's hearing loss diagnosis; and

[[Page 136 STAT. 2333]]

            (3) identify efforts and any promising practices of the 
        Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Health Resources 
        and Services Administration, the National Institute on Deafness 
        and Other Communication Disorders, and State EHDI programs--
                    (A) to address disparities in outreach for, or 
                access to, timely hearing screenings and early 
                interventions; and
                    (B) to ensure that EHDI follow-up services are 
                communicated and made available to medically underserved 
                populations, including racial and ethnic minorities.

    (b) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Comptroller General shall--
            (1) complete the study under subsection (a) and submit a 
        report on the results of the study to--
                    (A) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
                House of Representatives; and
                    (B) the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
                Pensions of the Senate; and
            (2) <<NOTE: Public information.>>  make such report publicly 
        available.

    Approved December 20, 2022.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 4052:
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 168 (2022):
            Dec. 1, considered and passed Senate.
            Dec. 5, 6, considered and passed House.

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