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Rep. Jim Hackworth - House District 33
IMMEDIATE RELEASE April
3, 2008
House Passes Bill
Requiring Infancy Hearing Loss Test
Energy conservation and pollution testing bills
also pass unanimously
NASHVILLE (April 3) – A
bill requiring every newborn infant in Tennessee to be screened for
hearing loss before being discharged from the hospital was passed
overwhelmingly by the House on Thursday.
“Having a child who is deaf
can be overwhelming, especially when you do not recognize the symptoms"
says Rep. Hackworth. Now we can be certain that every
parent walking out the door with their new baby will have the
opportunity to give their child every chance to succeed.”
Current statistics show
that nearly 3 out of every 1,000 children in the United States are born
deaf or hard-of-hearing, and that 9 out of every 10 children who are
born deaf are born to parents who can hear. Early diagnosis and
treatment of hearing loss in a child is shown to prevent long-term
problems.
In addition to requiring
newborn hearing screenings, the legislation also requires the Department
of Health to refer any child who does not pass to the Tennessee Early
Intervention System.
Energy Conservation
and Pollution Testing Bills Pass Unanimously
This year’s push of
environmentally friendly legislation continued as the House of
Representatives passed important legislation dealing with energy
conservation and pollution management.
“Every year thousands of
people visit our state because of its beautiful parks and pristine
rivers,” said State Representative Hackworth. “By doing
what we can to protect our waters and conserve our resources, we ensure
that our natural resources will be available for generations to come.”
House Bills 2815 and 2817
require the Department of Finance & Administration and the Department of
General Services to implement specific yearly energy conservation goals
for state-owned facilities including all state colleges and universities
and provide annual reports on energy efficiency in state government.
“By enacting this
legislation, we set a standard to organizations, businesses and homes in
Tennessee that going green and being energy efficient is not a fad, but
a way of life that we all must begin to embrace,” Hackworth said.
In addition to energy
conservation legislation, the House took up important legislation
dealing with pollution testing in the East Tennessee Pigeon River.
All three bills passed the House unanimously.
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