Section 7.27.213. Tuberculosis screening of school children.

	(a)  Each public school district and nonpublic school offering pre-elementary education through the 12th grade, or a combination of these grades, shall assess the tuberculosis status of each child not later than 90 days after school enrollment. The department will inform each public school district and each nonpublic school about the appropriate tuberculosis screening strategy that the district or school shall employ. The strategy may consist of annual health surveys upon registration, PPD skin tests, alternative laboratory-approved methods for assessing tuberculosis status, or a combination of two or more of those approaches. The department will use one or more of the following criteria to determine the required screening strategy for a public school district or nonpublic school:  
		(1) evidence that prior PPD skin testing of school children in a community served by the district or school demonstrates tuberculosis transmission;  
		(2) evidence that tuberculosis disease is occurring in a community served by the district or school;  
		(3) evidence that a community served by the district or school has a history of high rates of tuberculosis when compared to rates of tuberculosis for the United States or this state;  
		(4) evidence that children from populations having a high risk of tuberculosis are enrolled in the district or school; in this paragraph, "populations having a high risk" includes groups that historically have been medically underserved, homeless persons, foreign-born persons from countries with high rates of tuberculosis, and persons with immune deficiency conditions.  
	(b)  If the results of a health survey indicate an elevated risk for tuberculosis, or if a PPD skin test or other laboratory screening test is positive for tuberculosis, including a test result provided under (e) of this section, the public school district or nonpublic school shall refer the child to a health care provider and notify the department at the department's office in Anchorage.  
	(c)  The public school district or nonpublic school shall record the result of a health survey, PPD skin test, or other laboratory test administered under this section in the permanent health record of the child.  
	(d)  The public school district or nonpublic school shall suspend a child under AS 14.30.045(4) if  
		(1) the district or school has not screened the child for tuberculosis; or  
		(2) the child or a person acting on behalf of the child fails to provide the district or school, within 30 days after referral under (b) of this section, a written and signed statement of a health care provider stating that the child is not infectious from tuberculosis to others.  
	(e)  Notwithstanding (a) - (d) of this section, a PPD skin test or alternative laboratory-approved method for assessing tuberculosis status is not required under this section if the child or a person acting on behalf of the child provides the public school district or nonpublic school with documentation showing a  
		(1) negative result of a PPD skin test administered within the preceding six months;  
		(2) negative result from an alternative laboratory-approved method administered within the preceding six months for assessing tuberculosis status; or  
		(3) positive result at any time on the PPD skin test or other alternative laboratory-approved method for assessing tuberculosis status.  
	(f)  A student whose tuberculosis screening outcome obtained under (a) of this section has a positive result shall have a health evaluation by a health care provider. The health care provider shall report the case to the section of epidemiology in the department.  

Authorities

14.30.045;14.30.065;18.05.040;44.29.020

Notes

Authority

AS 14.30.045 AS 14.30.065 AS 18.05.040 AS 44.29.020

History

Eff. 9/2/82, Register 83; am 2/10/99, Register 149; am 12/29/2013, Register 208