GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1993

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 365

Short Title:  School Health Screening.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Representatives Easterling; Barnhill, Colton, Cunningham, Holt, Jeffus, and Lemmond.
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Referred to:  Health and Human Services.
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February 25, 1993

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO REQUIRE PUBLIC SCHOOL CHILDREN TO RECEIVE A HEALTH ASSESSMENT BEFORE ENTRY INTO KINDERGARTEN.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  G.S. 130A-440 reads as rewritten:
"§ 130A-440.  Health assessment required.
(a)	Every child in this State entering kindergarten in the public schools shall receive a health assessment.  The health assessment shall be made between the first of January prior to school entry and the date of school entry.  No child shall attend public school kindergarten until a health assessment has been conducted and the results reported in accordance with G.S. 130A-441.
(b)	A health assessment shall include a medical history and physical examination with screening for vision and hearing and, if appropriate, testing for anemia and tuberculosis.  The health assessment may also include developmental screening which may include cognition, language, and motor function.
(c)	The health assessment shall be conducted by a physician licensed to practice medicine, a physician's assistant as defined in G.S. 90-18.1(a), a certified nurse practitioner, or a public health nurse meeting the Department's Standards for Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment Screening.
(d)	This Article shall not apply to children entering kindergarten in private church schools, schools of religious charter, or qualified nonpublic schools, regulated by Article 39 of Chapter 115 of the General Statutes."
Sec. 2.  G.S. 130A-441 reads as rewritten:
"§ 130A-441.  Reporting.
(a)	Health assessment results shall be submitted to the Department and to the school principal by the medical provider on forms developed by the Department and the Department of Public Instruction.
(b)	Each school having a kindergarten shall maintain on file the health assessment results.  The files shall be open to inspection by the Department, the Department of Public Instruction, or their authorized representatives and persons inspecting the files shall maintain the confidentiality of the files. Upon transfer of a child to another kindergarten, a copy of the health assessment results shall be provided upon request and without charge to the new kindergarten.
(c)	Within 90 days after the commencement of a new school year, the principal shall file a health assessment status report with the Department and with the Department of Public Instruction on forms developed by the Department and the Department of Public Instruction.  The report shall document the number of children in compliance and not in compliance with G.S. 130A-440(a)."
Sec. 3.  This act is effective upon ratification and applies to children entering kindergarten in the 1994-95 school year.