GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

1983 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 843

HOUSE BILL 164

 

AN ACT TO PROVIDE FUNDS FOR SCREENING FOR NEURAL TUBE DEFECTS.

 

Whereas, neural tube defects are a major cause of stillbirth, death in infancy, paralysis and mental retardation; and

Whereas, the incidence of neural tube defects is higher in North Carolina than in any other state in the nation; and

Whereas, one in every 500 infants born in North Carolina has a neural tube defect; and

Whereas, neural tube defects are 30 times more common than phenylketonuria and 10 times more common than congenital hypothyroidism; and

Whereas, prenatal screening for neural tube defects would save hundreds of thousands of dollars otherwise spent for medical care and institutionalization; and

Whereas, it is essential to provide services to reduce the occurrence of neural tube defects; Now, therefore,

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Division of Health Services, Department of Human Resources, the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for fiscal year 1983-84 to provide funds for statewide screening for fetal neural tube defects.

Sec. 2.  This act is effective upon ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 20th day of July, 1983.