Maine § 8823. - Newborn Hearing Screening Advisory Board

§ 8823.. Newborn Hearing Screening Advisory Board

The Newborn Hearing Screening Advisory Board, as established in Title 5, section 12004-G, subsection 14-C, is created to provide oversight and advice on the program. The department shall provide administrative support services required by the board.   [PL 1999, c. 647, §2 (NEW).]

1.  Duties.  The board shall perform the following duties.

A. The board shall oversee the program and advise the commissioner on issues relating to the program and shall recommend procedures for hearing screening, evaluation, treatment and intervention services.   [PL 1999, c. 647, §2 (NEW).]

B. Beginning January 1, 2001, the board shall report each year to the joint standing committees of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters and education matters on the program, the percentages of children being screened and evaluated and those children being offered and receiving intervention and treatment services. The report must be made available to the public.   [PL 1999, c. 647, §2 (NEW).]

2.  Composition of board.  The board consists of an odd number of members, numbering at least 15, appointed by the Governor, including but not limited to:

A. An audiologist, a physician, a speech-language pathologist, a nurse, a certified teacher of the deaf and a person who provides early intervention services to children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing through the Governor Baxter School for the Deaf;   [RR 2017, c. 1, §15 (COR).]

B. A person who is culturally deaf, a person who is hard-of-hearing or deaf, a parent of a child who is culturally deaf, a parent of a child who is hard-of-hearing or deaf and a parent of a hearing child; and   [PL 1999, c. 647, §2 (NEW).]

C. A representative of hospitals, a representative of health carriers, a representative of the early childhood special education program under Title 20-A, chapter 303 and a representative of the department.   [PL 2005, c. 662, Pt. A, §42 (AMD).]

3.  Reimbursement for expenses.  Board members may be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary expenses incurred to attend board meetings but are not entitled to per diem payments.

4.  Funding.  The department shall provide financial and staff support for the board. The department shall submit grant proposals for funding the program to the Federal Government under the federal Newborn and Infant Hearing Screening and Intervention Act of 1999 and under 42 United States Code, Chapter 7, Subchapter V.