As used in OAR 333-020-0125 through 333-020-0187:

1. (1) "Advisory committee" means the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Advisory Committee.
2. (2) "Authority" means the Oregon Health Authority.
3. (3) "Birthing center" has the same meaning as "freestanding birthing center" in ORS 442.015.
4. (4) "Birthing facility" means the hospital or birthing center where a child is born.
5. (5) "Child" means any individual who is under 36 months of age.
6. (6) "Congenital" means present at birth.
7. (7) “Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV)” means the transmission of a cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection from a pregnant person to their fetus during pregnancy and the infection is confirmed in the newborn through congenital cytomegalovirus screening.
8. (8) “Congenital Cytomegalovirus (cCMV) Diagnostic Testing and Care Protocol” means the evidence-based protocol for infant and early childhood diagnostic testing and care following a positive screening result for congenital cytomegalovirus, established by the Authority, dated January 1, 2026, incorporated herein by this reference.
9. (9) “Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) screening” means an evidence-based assessment including testing using a newborn’s bodily fluids to determine the need for additional diagnostic testing, as described in the Authority’s Congenital Cytomegalovirus (cCMV) Screening Protocol.
10. (10) “Congenital Cytomegalovirus (cCMV) Screening Protocol” means the evidence-based protocol, established by the Authority, to conduct congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) screenings on newborns, dated January 1, 2026, incorporated herein by this reference.
11. (11) “Cytomegalovirus (CMV)” means a virus that can infect people of all ages and may cause congenital infections in newborns that may result in symptoms including hearing loss, developmental delays, and vision loss.
12. (12) "Diagnostic facility" means any facility that conducts pediatric diagnostic hearing evaluations.
13. (13) "Diagnostic testing" means physiologic and behavioral testing on children to determine the presence or absence, type and degree of a hearing loss, using procedures specified by the Authority, for the purposes of establishing a diagnosis and serving as a basis for initiating early intervention services.
14. (14) "Director" means the Director of the Public Health Division within the Oregon Health Authority or their designee.
15. (15) "Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program" or "EHDI" means the program, within the Public Health Division of the Oregon Health Authority, responsible for the implementation of ORS 433.298 and 433.321-433.327.
16. (16) "Early intervention services" or "EI services" means services for children with disabilities from birth until three years of age that are designed to meet the developmental needs of children with disabilities and the needs of the family related to supporting the child's development, selected in collaboration with the parents, and provided under public supervision by personnel qualified in accordance with criteria established by the Oregon Department of Education and in conformity with an individualized family service plan, as defined in ORS 343.035.
17. (17) "Early intervention facility" means any educational institution providing early intervention services.
18. (18) “Health maintenance organization” has the same meaning given that term in ORS 750.005.
19. (19) "Hearing screening" means a physiologically based hearing test established by the Authority, as described in the Hearing Screening Protocol.
20. (20) "Hearing Screening Protocol" means the evidence-based protocol for newborn hearing screening and established by the Authority, dated January 1, 2026, incorporated herein by this reference.
21. (21) "Hospital" has the meaning given that term in ORS 442.015.
22. (22) "Mandated facility" means any hospital or birthing center with more than 200 live births per calendar year, as determined by information provided by the Oregon Health Authority’s Center for Health Statistics.
23. (23) "Newborn" means a child less than one month of age.
24. (24) “Newborn hearing screening test registry” (or, alternately, "Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Information System") means a database of children and information related to their hearing status, as defined in ORS 433.323, including but not limited to results of hearing screenings, diagnostic testing, and early intervention referrals, designed for the purpose of contacting families and health care providers.
25. (25) “Non-mandated facility” means any hospital or birthing center with 200 or less live births per calendar year, as determined by information provided by the Oregon Health Authority’s Center for Health Statistics.
26. (26) "Pass" means a hearing screening result that indicates that a child's hearing meets the pass criteria identified in the Hearing Screening Protocol as determined by best practice guidelines.
27. (27) “Prenatal healthcare provider” means any medical care provider providing prenatal healthcare services, including but not limited to physicians, physician associates, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, and direct entry midwives.
28. (28) “Prenatal healthcare services” means the medical care and other services provided to a pregnant person during pregnancy.
29. (29) "Refer" means a hearing screening result that indicates that a child's hearing did not meet the pass criteria identified in the Hearing Screening Protocol as determined by best practice guidelines, and needs more testing to determine the presence of a hearing loss.
30. (30) "Risk factor" means any one of the risk indicators determined by best practice guidelines as being associated with either congenital or delayed-onset hearing loss.
31. (31) "Screening facility" means any facility that conducts hearing screenings for a child.

32. (32) “These rules” means OAR 333-020-0125 through 333-020-0187.

    [ED. NOTE: To view attachments referenced in rule text, click here for PDF copy.]

Statutory/Other Authority

ORS 433.323

Statutes/Other Implemented

ORS 433.321–433.327 & ORS 433.298

History

PH 29-2025, amend filed 12/31/2025, effective 01/01/2026
PH 26-2017, amend filed 12/21/2017, effective 01/01/2018
PH 11-2011, f. & cert. ef. 10-27-11
PH 5-2011(Temp), f. & cert. ef. 7-1-11 thru 12-27-11
PH 21-2003, f. & cert. ef. 12-16-03
OHD 8-2000, f. & cert. ef. 7-20-00