381.985 Screening program. - Florida Statutes

381.985 Screening program.

   (1) The State Surgeon General shall establish a program for early identification of persons at risk of having elevated blood-lead levels. Such program shall systematically screen children under 6 years of age in the target populations identified in subsection (2) for the presence of elevated blood-lead levels. Children within the specified target populations shall be screened with a blood-lead test at age 12 months and age 24 months, or between the ages of 36 months and 72 months if they have not previously been screened. The State Surgeon General shall, after consultation with recognized professional medical groups and such other sources as the State Surgeon General deems appropriate, promulgate rules establishing:

   (a) The means by which and the intervals at which such children under 6 years of age shall be screened for lead poisoning and elevated blood-lead levels.

   (b) Guidelines for the medical followup on children found to have elevated blood-lead levels.

   (2) In developing screening programs to identify persons at risk with elevated blood-lead levels, priority shall be given to persons within the following categories:

   (a) All children enrolled in the Medicaid program at ages 12 months and 24 months, or between the ages of 36 months and 72 months if they have not previously been screened.

   (b) Children under the age of 6 years exhibiting delayed cognitive development or other symptoms of childhood lead poisoning.

   (c) Persons at risk residing in the same household, or recently residing in the same household, as another person at risk with a blood-lead level of 10 ug/dL or greater.

   (d) Persons at risk residing, or who have recently resided, in buildings or geographical areas in which significant numbers of cases of lead poisoning or elevated blood-lead levels have recently been reported.

   (e) Persons at risk residing, or who have recently resided, in an affected property contained in a building that during the preceding 3 years has been subject to enforcement for violations of lead-poisoning-prevention statutes, ordinances, rules, or regulations as specified by the State Surgeon General.

   (f) Persons at risk residing, or who have recently resided, in a room or group of rooms contained in a building whose owner also owns a building containing affected properties which during the preceding 3 years has been subject to an enforcement action for a violation of lead-poisoning-prevention statutes, ordinances, rules, or regulations.

   (g) Persons at risk residing in other buildings or geographical areas in which the State Surgeon General reasonably determines there to be a significant risk of affected individuals having a blood-lead level of 10 ug/dL or greater.

   (3) The State Surgeon General shall maintain comprehensive records of all screenings conducted pursuant to this section. Such records shall be indexed geographically and by owner in order to determine the location of areas of relatively high incidence of lead poisoning and other elevated blood-lead levels.

All cases or probable cases of lead poisoning found in the course of screenings conducted pursuant to this section shall be reported to the affected individual, to his or her parent or legal guardian if he or she is a minor, and to the State Surgeon General.

History. s. 5, ch. 2006-269; s. 36, ch. 2008-6.