Title 31, Chapter 1, Section 3.1
( 31-1-3.1)
(a) It is the intent of the General Assembly to ensure the
registration by the department of disabled newborn persons in order
that all such persons might obtain referral and other services
provided by existing state agencies, departments, other
organizations, and individuals. (b) As used in this Code section, the term "disabled newborn person"
means a person less than 12 months old who is deaf, blind, or has a
serious congenital defect as defined by the department. (c) Except as otherwise provided, every public and private health
and social agency and every physician authorized to practice
medicine in this state shall report to the department the name of
any person such agency or physician has identified as being a
disabled newborn person. The report shall be made within 48 hours
after identification of that person and shall contain the name, age,
address, type and extent of disability, social security number, if
any, and such other information concerning that person as the
department may require. (d) The department shall establish procedures whereby a disabled
newborn person for whom a report is made under this Code section
shall be referred with informed consent to appropriate public or
private departments or agencies for treatment and rehabilitative
services. (e) The Division of Public Health of the department shall: (1) Maintain records of reports, notifications, and referrals made
under this article; and (2) Maintain and update rosters of public and private departments
or agencies which provide services to persons who have
disabilities like those of disabled newborn persons and send
copies of such rosters and an annual update thereof to each county
board of health for those boards of health to make such rosters
available to the public. (f) Statistical information collected under this Code section shall
be available to any other federal or state agency or private
organization concerned with disabilities of newborn persons, but no
names or addresses will be provided without the consent of the
immediate family or guardian of the disabled newborn person. (g) Any person or entity with whom the department enters into a
contract after June 30, 1987, for services shall, as a condition of
that contract, register with the Division of Public Health the
various services that person or entity is capable of or is already
providing to disabled newborn persons and persons having
disabilities like those of disabled newborn persons for purposes of
the roster of services the division maintains under paragraph (2) of
subsection (e) of this Code section. (h) A person or entity which in good faith makes a report required
by subsection (c) of this Code section shall be immune from civil
and criminal liability therefor. |