(a) All newborn infants shall receive a hearing screening to allow early identification and intervention to maximize social, emotional, and language outcomes for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes 321-362.5

  • Deaf or hard of hearing: means any type and degree of permanent hearing loss as assessed by an audiologist or physician specialized in hearing function. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 321-361
  • Department: means the department of health. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 321-361
  • Diagnostic audiologic evaluation: means an evaluation of the sensitivity of a person 's sense of hearing as assessed by an audiologist or physician specialized in hearing function. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 321-361
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Hearing screening: means objective procedures to detect possible hearing loss and determine the need for diagnostic audiologic evaluation and medical evaluation. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 321-361
  • Infant: means a child from birth to thirty-six months of age. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 321-361
(b) The person in charge of each birthing facility caring for newborn infants and the responsible physician attending the birth of a newborn or the person assisting the birth of a child not attended by a physician shall ensure that every infant in the person’s care receives a hearing screening. This section shall not apply if the parent, guardian, or other person having custody or control of the child objects to the hearing screening in writing on the grounds that the hearing screening conflicts with their religious beliefs. The written objection shall be made a part of the infant’s medical record.
(c) Birthing facilities shall report newborn hearing screening results to the department.
(d) Audiologists and physicians specialized in hearing function who perform diagnostic audiologic evaluations of infants shall report to the department, the diagnostic audiologic evaluation results of those infants who do not pass the hearing screening test and those who are diagnosed as deaf or hard of hearing up to the age of three years.

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