Although legislation signed into law last year requiring the New York State Department of Health (DOH) to establish a program to screen newborns for hearing impairments indicates an effective date of April 1, 2000, the program is currently being developed. Prior to the effective date of the program, DOH must determine the reimbursement mechanism for health care providers and must develop clinical guidelines and protocols for detecting hearing impairments. DOH expects full implementation of the program by the fall of 2000. GNYHA will be meeting with DOH to discuss the reimbursement mechanism and clinical guidelines and will keep members apprised of the status of the program. In order to develop the clinical guidelines and protocols necessary to implement the legislation, DOH is in the process of collecting information on current efforts to screen for newborn hearing impairments. Thus, DOH recently sent a survey to hospital administrators and requested that providers complete it by April 10, 2000.