The department, in cooperation and coordination with the Texas Education Agency and other department bureaus, divisions or programs serving school-age children, shall develop, implement, and administer a program for the detection of abnormal spinal curvature in children. The program shall be known as the Department of State Health Services Spinal Screening Program, and is authorized to:

1. (1) provide certification training for spinal screening to non-health practitioners through the Regional Education Service Centers and other locations;
2. (2) approve spinal screener certification, screener recertification, and trainer certification programs, including approval of trainers for these training programs;
3. (3) establish the standard spinal screening tests and referral criteria;
4. (4) coordinate spinal screening activities of school districts, private schools, state agencies, volunteer organizations, and other entities to prevent duplication;
5. (5) monitor the quality of spinal screening activities in Texas;
6. (6) issue reporting forms;
7. (7) provide educational and other materials to assist local spinal screening activities; and
8. (8) keep a roster of approved trainers and screeners who have become certified under these sections.

Source Note:The provisions of this §37.143 adopted to be effective March 21, 1986, 11 TexReg 1145; amended to be effective August 1, 2002, 27 TexReg 3157; amended to be effective September 17, 2008, 33 TexReg 7747.