The bill amends section 383.14 of the Florida Statutes to require that, beginning January 1, 2027, newborns be screened for Duchenne muscular dystrophy at the appropriate age. This addition mandates that the Department of Health's rules include this specific screening as part of the newborn screening program, which already encompasses various metabolic and hereditary disorders.

The bill also outlines the process for implementing new screenings based on recommendations from the Genetics and Newborn Screening Advisory Council. It stipulates that the department must adopt rules requiring blood specimens to be collected from newborns within the first week of life and to test for conditions included in the federal Recommended Uniform Screening Panel. The department is tasked with expanding the screening program to include newly recommended conditions within 18 months, provided that an FDA-approved test is available. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
H 1089 Filed: 383.14