442.540  Certain medical facilities prohibited from discharging newborn child born in facility until child has undergone or been referred for hearing screening; exception; regulations.

1.  Except as otherwise provided in this section and NRS 442.560, a licensed hospital in this state that provides services for maternity care and the care of newborn children and a licensed obstetric center in this state shall not discharge a newborn child who was born in the facility until the newborn child has undergone a hearing screening for the detection of hearing loss to prevent the consequences of unidentified disorders, or has been referred for such a hearing screening.

2.  The requirements of subsection 1 do not apply to a hospital in which fewer than 500 childbirths occur annually.

3.  The State Board of Health shall adopt such regulations as are necessary to carry out the provisions of NRS 442.500 to 442.590, inclusive.

(Added to NRS by 2001, 2461)