Creates a public umbilical cord blood banking program within the department of health to promote public awareness of the potential benefits of public cord banking, to promote research into the uses of cord blood, and to facilitate pre-delivery arrangements for public banking of cord blood donations.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A5956
SPONSOR: Fitzpatrick TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to promotion of
public umbilical cord blood banking
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To create a public umbilical cord blood banking program in New York
State.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one establishes the umbilical cord blood banking program to
promote research into the uses of umbilical cord blood. This section
also requires the Department of Health to develop a public education and
outreach campaign, via written materials, brochures, the internet and
public service announcements to promote public umbilical cord blood
banking awareness. The section also promotes research through public and
private funding sources in the potential benefits of umbilical cord
blood as a source of stem cells in the treatment of disease.
Section two establishes the effective date.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORIGINAL AND AMENDED VERSION (IF APPLICABLE):
JUSTIFICATION:
Umbilical cord research is rich in blood stem cells that can serve as a
lifeline in treating many life-threatening diseases. Also, cord blood
stem cells have been used to treat patients suffering from almost 50
disorders. For example, a study • published in the November 24, 2004
issue of the New England Journal of Medicine confirms that stem cells
derived from the umbilical cords of newborn babies are a viable and
effective transplant source for thousands of leukemia patients who have
no other treatment option. In October 2005, scientists in Korea claimed
they enabled a patient who could not walk for the last 19 years to walk
by using stem cells from umbilical cord blood.
Establishing a public umbilical cord blood banking program would enable
more research and education for New Yorkers who need treatment.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2024 - A5999- Referred to Health Committee
2022 - A5615 - Referred to Health Committee
2020 - A5857 - Held in Health Committee
2018 - A7338 - Held in Health Committee
2016 - A3124 - Held in Health Committee
2014 - A3204 - Held in Health Committee
2012 - A2519 - Held in Health Committee
2010 - A2702 - Held in Health Committee
2008 - A5081 - Held in Health Committee
2006 - A9416 - Held in Health Committee
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect 180 days after it shall have become a law:
provided, however, that effective immediately, the addition, amendment
and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation
of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made
and completed on or before such effective date.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5956
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 25, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. FITZPATRICK -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to promotion of
public umbilical cord blood banking
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new article
2 43-C to read as follows:
3 ARTICLE 43-C
4 PUBLIC UMBILICAL CORD BLOOD BANKING
5 Section 4375. Public umbilical cord blood banking program.
6 § 4375. Public umbilical cord blood banking program. 1. The public
7 umbilical cord blood banking program is hereby established within the
8 department to promote public awareness of the potential benefits of
9 public umbilical cord blood banking, to promote research into the uses
10 of umbilical cord blood, and to facilitate pre-delivery arrangements for
11 public banking of umbilical cord blood donations.
12 2. The department shall:
13 (a) develop a public education and outreach campaign, via written
14 materials, brochures, the internet, and public service announcements to
15 promote public umbilical cord blood banking awareness and education of
16 the general public and potential umbilical cord blood donors of the
17 benefits of public umbilical cord blood banking;
18 (b) develop educational materials and brochures which shall be made
19 available to the general public and potential umbilical cord blood
20 donors through local departments of health; health care practitioners,
21 including obstetricians, gynecologists, pediatricians, and midwives;
22 health maintenance organizations; hospitals; clinics, walk-in medical
23 centers, mobile care units, surgi-centers, and urgent care centers; and
24 clinics and organizations serving pregnant people;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04712-01-5
A. 5956 2
1 (c) coordinate and promote professional education programs for health
2 care providers on the benefits of public umbilical cord blood banking;
3 (d) promote research, through public and private funding sources, in
4 the potential benefits of umbilical cord blood as an alternative to
5 tissue transplantation and as a source of stem cells in the treatment of
6 disease;
7 (e) develop criteria, pursuant to regulation, regarding the appropri-
8 ate collection and storage of umbilical cord blood for public banking;
9 the identification of blood banks and the area served by each such blood
10 bank; the adequacy of safeguards in place at such blood banks to ensure
11 the safe collection and storage of umbilical cord blood; and provisions
12 for arrangements between such blood banks and hospitals, including
13 certification of blood bank personnel, designation of responsibilities
14 and liabilities between such blood bank personnel and hospital person-
15 nel; and any other provisions necessary to ensure the safety of the
16 birthing parent, their child, any such personnel in attendance at the
17 delivery and/or the umbilical cord blood collection site, and the stored
18 umbilical cord blood; and
19 (f) establish a statewide toll-free telephone number to receive
20 requests for information and to direct potential umbilical cord blood
21 donors to available public umbilical cord blood banks serving the area
22 in which such potential donor resides or is planning to deliver.
23 3. The commissioner shall accept and expend any grants, awards, or
24 other funds or appropriations as may be made available for the purposes
25 of this article, subject to limitations as to the approval of expendi-
26 tures and audit as prescribed for state funds by the state finance law.
27 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
28 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
29 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
30 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
31 completed on or before such effective date.
