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94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006 HB0480
Introduced 1/27/2005, by Rep. John E. Bradley - Kevin Joyce SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: |
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Creates the Newborn Eye Pathology Act. Establishes the Newborn Eye Pathology Screening Task Force to advise the Department of Public Health on newborn eye pathology screening protocol. Provides that the Department, in consultation with representatives of the Newborn Eye Pathology Task Force, shall adopt the protocol developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics to optimally detect the presence of treatable causes of blindness in infants by 2 months of age. Provides that the Act shall not be construed to supersede the clinical judgment of the licensed health care provider or a parent or guardian of a newborn who objects to the examination on the grounds that the examination conflicts with his or her religious beliefs or practices.
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| FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY | |
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A BILL FOR
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HB0480 |
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LRB094 06314 LJB 36389 b |
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| AN ACT concerning public health.
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| Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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| represented in the General Assembly:
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| Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the |
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| Newborn Eye Pathology Screening Act. |
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| Section 5. Policy and legislative findings. |
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| (a) It is the policy of the State of Illinois to make every |
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| effort to detect pediatric congenital ocular abnormalities |
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| that lead to premature death, blindness, or vision impairment |
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| unless treated soon after birth.
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| (b) The General Assembly finds and declares the following:
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| (1) Treatable congenital ocular diseases occur |
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| frequently and require increased early detection efforts.
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| (2) Early detection significantly enhances the ability |
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| to prevent serious damage from congenital abnormalities of |
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| the eye which, left undetected and untreated, may result in |
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| blinding or life-threatening diseases, or both. Examples |
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| of such disorders include retinoblastoma, congenital |
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| cataracts, and persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous. |
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| Other congenital anomalies including colobomas, vascular |
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| retinal anomalies, and congenital retinal folds can be |
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| treated with patching the good eye to prevent dense |
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| amblyopia if detected early. |
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(3) Retinoblastoma is a childhood cancer arising in |
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| immature retinal cells inside the eye and accounts for |
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| approximately 13% of all cancers in infants. Most children |
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| are diagnosed before 2 1/2 years of age. When |
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| retinoblastoma affects both eyes, the average age of |
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| diagnosis is 12 months.
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| (4) Increased emphasis on optimal examination methods, |
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| such as dilation of the eye with eye drops, may facilitate |
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| detection of the abnormal disease process inside the eye of |