HB2669 HED FBM

FLOOR BOOK MEMO

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

ATTORNEY: CK

HB 2669:Relating to compulsory tuberculosis testing

SPONSORS:                              Delegates Ellington, Householder and Pasdon

DATE INTRODUCED:                  February 9, 2015

CODE REFERENCE:                   §16-3D-2 & 16-3D-3 (Amended)

PURPOSE:                                   The purpose of this bill is to provide that mandatory testing for tuberculosis applies only for those students or school employees who show signs or symptoms or who are suspected of having the disease, which is consistent with the Centers for Disease Control criteria on who to test.

PROPOSED LAW:                       The bill eliminates the tuberculosis skin test requirement for students and school employees who are at low risk for the disease. Current law requires all students to be tested prior to enrolling in school, and all school employees to be tested prior to beginning employment. The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) consider universal testing unnecessary, ineffective, and the cost to be unjustified by the results. There has not been an active case of tuberculosis discovered through this type of screening in the last 20 years.

The bill continues to allow the Commissioner of the Bureau for Public Health to require testing if an individual may have been exposed to tuberculosis, and expands his or her authority to require testing if signs or symptoms are present. In such cases the individual is removed from school or work until the testing is completed and the case is evaluated. A student must be cleared to return to school by his or her physician and the Director of the local health department, in consultation with the Commissioner of the Bureau for Public Health. A school employee must be cleared to return to work by the Director, in consultation with the Commissioner. The bill eliminates the responsibility of the local health officer to arrange follow-up care for individuals who test positive.

TITLE:                                          OK

FISCAL NOTE:                          None

EFFECTIVE DATE:                    Regular (90 Days from Passage)

COMMITTEE REFERENCE:        Health & Human Resources (Reference Waived)