The Department of Health is proposing to Readopt with Amendments N.J.A.C. 8:51A entitled, “Screening of Children for Elevated Blood Lead Levels.” These rules require physicians, registered nurses and healthcare facilities to screen children under 72 months of age for elevated blood lead levels.
This rule is being amended due to the enactment of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act (CLIA) on January 9, 2017. The CLIA permits certain blood lead tests to be performed in non-laboratory settings, such as in a doctor’s office. The proposed amendments would require these non-laboratory settings to report test results to the Department in the same manner as clinical laboratories, ensuring the continued flow of this important information to the Department.
The Department anticipates that the incorporation of the CLIA into N.J.A.C. 8:51A will ensure that all blood lead testing results are accurately reported, leading to more timely case management services provided to children who have an elevated blood lead level.
A notice of proposal appears in the July 16, 2018 issue of the New Jersey Register. The Department will accept written comments on the proposal during a period of public comment, which begins on July 16, 2018 and ends on September 14, 2018.
Individuals wishing to comment on the proposal must submit written comments on or before September 14, 2018 either (1) electronically at http://www.nj.gov/health/legal/ecomments.shtml or (2) by regular mail postmarked on or before September 14, 2018 to Joy L. Lindo, Director, Office of Legal and Regulatory Compliance, New Jersey Department of Health, PO Box 360, Trenton, NJ 08625-0360.
Address correspondence sent by Courier or Hand Delivery Service to: Joy L. Lindo, Director, Office of Legal and Regulatory Compliance, New Jersey Department of Health, 369 South Warren Street, Trenton, NJ 08608. All hard copy correspondence must be marked as having been received by the carrier of record on or before September 14, 2018. The Department does not accept facsimiles as official comments on the notice of proposal.
LexisNexis provides free online access to the New Jersey Register here. Click here for more information on the rulemaking process in New Jersey.
Follow New Jersey Health Commissioner Elnahal on Twitter.
Follow the New Jersey Department of Health on Twitter@njdeptofhealth, Facebook/njdeptofhealth, Instagram@njdeptofhealth, and Snapchat@njdoh.
