Maine Revised Statutes Title 22. Health and Welfare § 1534. Cytomegalovirus screening

1. Cytomegalovirus screening. The department shall establish a cytomegalovirus screening program for newborn infants.

2. Religious objection exemption. The department may not require that a newborn infant be tested for the presence of cytomegalovirus if the parents of that infant object on the grounds that a test conflicts with their religious tenets and practices.

3. Report. A health care provider that tests or causes to be tested a newborn infant pursuant to this section shall report to the department aggregate data, including the number of infants born, the number tested for cytomegalovirus, the results of the screening and testing and the type of screening sample used.

4. Public education. The department shall provide public educational resources to pregnant individuals and individuals who may become pregnant that include information regarding the incidence of cytomegalovirus, the transmission of cytomegalovirus during and before pregnancy, birth defects caused by congenital cytomegalovirus, methods of diagnosing congenital cytomegalovirus, available preventive measures and resources for the family of an infant born with congenital cytomegalovirus. The department may solicit and accept the assistance of relevant medical associations or community resources to develop, promote and distribute the public educational resources.

5. Rulemaking. The department shall adopt rules to implement this section. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. In developing rules to implement the requirements of this section, the department shall convene a group of medical professionals to advise on best practices in congenital cytomegalovirus screening.