Newborn Screening

The State Board of Health (Board) is temporarily pausing certain newborn screening (NBS) policy activities due to current budget constraints at the Department of Health (Department). The Department requested the Board pause these activities at its April 8, 2026, meeting during updates from Department leadership and NBS program staff on the state’s fiscal outlook and current operational capacity.

Effective July 1, 2026, the Board will implement a 12-month pause on specific NBS policy actions, including advancing rulemaking petitions and filing new rulemaking notices. Additionally, the Board will implement an immediate pause on convening NBS Technical Advisory Committees (TACs). This includes postponing the TAC meeting previously scheduled for April 29, 2026, to review Infantile Krabbe Disease. The pause may be extended if necessary.

The Board has directed Board staff to work closely with the Department and provide an update, along with a proposed path forward. The Board is committed to newborn screening in Washington state and will provide updates and information on this webpage as it becomes available.

Summary

What is Newborn Screening (NBS)?

All babies born in Washington State are screened shortly after birth. The Washington State Department of Health (Department) conducts this NBS testing using a small blood spot sample collected from a baby’s heel.

NBS checks for certain rare, serious, and treatable health conditions. Without early detection and treatment, these conditions can cause serious illness, lifelong disability, or death. Screening helps ensure babies get the care they need as early as possible.

For More Information

Statutory Authority: RCW 70.83.050
Board Contact: Molly Dinardo, molly.dinardo@sboh.wa.gov
Department of Health Contact: Megan McCrillis, megan.mccrillis@doh.wa.gov
To receive future updates on newborn screening please complete the NBS interest form online.

Additional Background

The Role of the Washington State Board of Health

Washington law (RCW 70.83.050) directs the Washington State Board of Health (Board) to set the rules for the Department’s NBS Program. One of the Board’s primary responsibilities is deciding which health conditions all babies born in Washington must be screened for. This list, known as the mandatory NBS panel, is defined in WAC 246-650-020.

The Board also: 

• Reviews requests to consider new conditions for NBS.
• Convenes expert Technical Advisory Committees (TACs) to evaluate potential conditions and determine whether they meet the Board’s screening criteria.
• Reviews TAC recommendations and makes final decisions about adding new conditions to the NBS panel.
• Ensures decisions are based on scientific evidence, that babies who screen positive can reasonably access diagnosis and treatment, and that the benefits of screening outweigh potential harms.
• Monitors federal recommendations, such as the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP), while maintaining state-level decision-making authority.
• Conducts rulemaking to formally add new conditions to the mandatory screening panel once the Department and Washington State Health Care Authority receive legislative approval to increase the newborn screening fee.

Reviewing New Conditions

The Board and Department use a well-established process to review health conditions for possible addition to the state mandatory NBS panel. This process is designed to be fair, transparent, and based on the best available evidence. It prioritizes scientific evidence, ethics, equity, cost-effectiveness, and the benefits and harms of universal screening in Washington State.

Requests to review a condition may come from the public (by submitting a petition for rulemaking), the Legislature, Department of Health staff, or State Board of Health Members. 

When a condition is ready for review, the Board convenes a multidisciplinary Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). TAC members include experts across the NBS system of care. The TAC evaluates the condition using the Board’s Newborn Screening Process and Criteria (last updated August 20, 2025) and provides recommendations to help the Board make an informed decision.

Conditions Recently Reviewed, Approved, and Pending Legislative Action