P.R. Laws tit. 24, § 3522
The Neonatal Universal Hearing Screening Advisory Committee is hereby created under the jurisdiction of the Department:
(a) Composition. — The Committee shall be composed of an uneven number of at least nine (9) members, of the following professions and organizations appointed by the Governor:
(1) Health professionals. — Audiologist, speech-language pathologist, pediatrician/neonatologist, neonatal nurse.
(2) Consumers. — Adults with hearing impairment.
(3) Health care systems/Government. — A representative of the health insurance companies, the Secretary of the Department of Health, or his/her representative (government agency responsible for Part C of IDEA.)
(4) Organizations. — Community groups which represent persons with hearing impairment, professionals who render services to this population and parents of children with hearing loss, among others.
(b) Responsibilities and power. — The Committee shall advi[s]e the Secretary and the Department on matters related to the hearing screening tests, hearing evaluation diagnosis, intervention, treatment and follow-up care for newborns with hearing loss. The Committee shall act by a majority of votes and as required by the Administrative Act of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The Secretary shall have the authority to adopt the regulations deemed necessary to comply with the purposes of this chapter.
The Committee shall meet as often as deemed necessary to obtain the pertinent information on hearing screening programs. The Committee shall also develop and make recommendations to implement Neonatal Universal Hearing Screening Programs efficiently and timely and to carry out the compilation of data that allows for the appropriate evaluation of the same.
History —Dec. 19, 2003, No. 311, § 3, eff. 30 days after Dec. 19, 2003.