American Cochlear Implant Alliance is pleased to announce that today (October 3), the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Act (S. 652) passed the U.S. House of Representatives after earlier passage in the Senate and is now headed to the President to be signed into law. The EHDI Act is bipartisan legislation that will help ensure continued funding and support for early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of hearing loss in newborns, infants, and young children.
ACI Alliance strongly supported this legislation and has worked closely with the bill’s champions in the House (Representatives Brett Guthrie, R-KY and Doris Matsui, D-CA) and in the Senate (Senators Rob Portman, R-OH and Tim Kaine, D-VA) to advance the bill through Congress. ACI Alliance worked on language that was incorporated into the legislation that emphasizes the importance of parents receiving accurate and comprehensive information about the hearing technology and communication options available to their child. The bill also expands EHDI-related grants to include children younger than three, in addition to newborns and infants. Our membership visited with legislative offices throughout the past three years and continued to contact Members of Congress to emphasize the importance of this legislation. ACI Alliance thanks our bill champions in Congress as well as our coalition partners, members, and advocates for their work to pass this needed legislation.
The mission of the American Cochlear Implant (ACI) Alliance is to advance access to the gift of hearing provided by cochlear implantation through research, advocacy and awareness.
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