On April 28, Texas House Bill 2478 passed unanimously in the House with 148 votes and has now moved to the Senate for consideration. The House passage of this bill is an important step toward improving the newborn screening process for the more than 365,000 babies born in Texas every year.
House Bill 2478 would remove unnecessary delays in the state’s newborn screening processes, allowing medical professionals to detect potentially fatal diseases and provide life-saving interventions as early as possible. For families affected by these rare diseases, early detection and intervention can mean the difference between life and death, substantially improve their newborn’s quality of life, and provide families with valuable information about their child’s health and well-being.
House Bill 2478 has gained overwhelming support from over 60 patient organizations that serve families in the state of Texas. We ask Texas residents to add their voices in support of this legislation by urging their state senators to support House Bill 2478 and its counterpart, Senate Bill 1697. By using your voice to advocate for the health of Texas’ youngest and most vulnerable patients, you can help ensure that all newborns in the state receive the life-saving interventions they need.
For more information on House Bill 2478, please visit the bill’s webpage.
Contact:
Dylan Simon
EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases
dsimon@rareadvocates.org
