Newborn genetic screening.

Existing law requires that the State Department of Public Health establish a statewide program for the screening of newborns for specified genetic disorders, including tandem mass spectrometry screening for fatty acid oxidation, amino acid, and organic acid disorders and congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Existing law creates the Genetic Disease Testing Fund in the State Treasury, which is used to fund the newborn screening program. This bill would require the department to consider inclusion in the statewide screening program of conditions recommended by the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) or other specified entities. The department would be required to adopt the recommendations within one year of their publication unless the department determines that screening for the recommended conditions is not necessary for advancing newborn health and notifies appropriate committees of the Legislature of that determination. Because this bill would expand the purposes of the screening program it constitutes an appropriation.