State Regulations on Cord Blood Banking

In thirty-one states in the United States, there is a law or piece of pending legislation requiring OBGYNs to tell expecting parents about cord blood banking.

The umbilical cord is rich with hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which are essentially blank cells that have the capacity to self-renew and differentiate into all mature blood cell types. Cord blood stem cells can treat over 80+ diseases.

The National Academy of Medicine gave Congress a report on the benefits of stem cells found in umbilical cord blood that called for establishing a national stem cell bank program for collecting and using cord blood. This report catalyzed legislation to improve its mandates around cord blood education.

Ahead, where each state currently stands on its requirements of health care professionals educating expecting parents about cord blood banking.

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Regulations on cord blood banking in the United States

Arizona

The law in Arizona requires a free pamphlet to be distributed that includes information about collecting umbilical cord blood, its current and potential uses, public and private banking options, and the average cost. The Arizona Public Cord Blood Program was created to increase the number of available cord blood units from a diverse ethnic group to treat blood-related diseases like acute lymphoblastic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, Hodgkin's lymphoma, and sickle cell anemia.

Arkansas

The Newborn Umbilical Cord Initiative Act in Arkansas allowed for establishing the Cord Blood Bank of Arkansas, providing resources and promoting education on cord blood banking in Arkansas. This legislation also included forming the Arkansas Commission for the Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood Initiative, which gives oversight for a statewide cord blood banking network.

California

In 2006, a bill in California passed to conduct the Umbilical Cord Blood Community Awareness Campaign, providing information and assistance about umbilical cord blood banking using many forms of traditional media. The bill also encourages prenatal care providers to share information about cord blood banking. The bill was extended in 2010 to create a donation program funded by a two-dollar charge on birth certificate copies, specifically targeting ethnically diverse hospitals to better represent all ethnicities in blood cord banks.

Colorado

The Adult Stem Cell Cure Fund in Colorado helps fund public blood banks and creates awareness for newly expecting parents through donations on state tax returns.

Connecticut

Despite the passage of legislation that authorized the creation of Connecticut's first public umbilical cord blood bank, progress is still at a standstill. However, there has been some progress to ensure pregnant people know their options. In 2009, a law was signed that healthcare providers must give expecting parents information about cord blood banking options during their last trimester of pregnancy.

Florida

Several universities in Florida and the Mayo Clinic joined forces to establish the Public Cord Blood Tissue Bank consortium to allow birthing parents to donate their umbilical cord blood to the public. A more recent 2011 bill requires the state of Florida to provide information on its website about public and private cord blood banking options and asks healthcare providers to share this information with expecting parents before their third trimester.

Georgia

A 2007 law in Georgia called "Keone's Law" established the Georgia Commission for Saving the Cure. Georgian Keone Penn, whom the law is named after, was the first person cured of sickle cell anemia by cord blood stem cells. Keone's law requires every parent to be told their cord blood banking options by their doctor sooner than 30 days after starting the third trimester of pregnancy.

Hawai'i

Hawai'i has not yet passed any legislation on cord blood banking. However, the state does require doctors to give expecting parents basic information regarding umbilical cord blood donation. Senate committees have deferred the measure for later review.

Illinois

A law in Illinois requires prenatal care providers to provide educational materials about public and private cord banking and its benefits. In 2008, another statute called for a network of cord blood stem cell banks once appropriate funding was available.

Indiana

Act 315 in Indiana says that any provider directly involved with birthing services and prenatal care is required to distribute information about umbilical cord blood and cord tissue donations to pregnant people.

Kansas

The Cord Blood Donation Information Act in Kansas calls for prenatal care providers to deliver information about cord blood banking to expectant parents during the last trimester of pregnancy. The act also requires the health department to provide materials about a parent's banking options.

Louisiana

The Umbilical Cord Blood Banking Program in Louisiana requires health care providers to tell pregnant people their options about cord blood banking by the end of the second trimester of pregnancy. This program also established a public education program to promote cord blood awareness and the benefits of banking.

Maryland

Maryland requires hospitals and OBGYNs to share educational materials about umbilical cord blood donation. No public cord blood banks are available in Maryland, so parents must research donating in another state if they choose to do so.

Massachusetts

All licensed hospitals in Massachusetts must tell pregnant people about the option of cord blood dontation sooner than 30 days from the start of their third trimester of pregnancy.

Michigan

Legislators in Michigan asked the state's health department to establish a network of cord blood banks when funding became available. They also asked the department to provide educational material about cord blood banking and to encourage health care providers to share this information before the third trimester.

Mississippi

The Umbilical Cord Blood Banking Program Act in Mississippi established the Umbilical Cord Blood Banking Awareness Program, which is responsible for developing educational materials to promote cord blood awareness.

Missouri

A Missouri bill requires the Department of Health and Senior Services to provide information about public and private cord blood banking options. It also encourages OBGYNs to provide that information to expecting parents.

New Jersey

An executive order in New Jersey established the creation of educational materials about cord blood banking and a statewide public cord bank—which later became the New Jersey Cord Blood Bank, the first statewide umbilical cord blood bank publicly funded. Legislature also requires hospitals to tell expectant parents of their option to donate their cord blood.

New Mexico

Legislation in New Mexico requires physicians to educate expecting parents about public cord blood donation. It also requires printed educational materials to be distributed to healthcare providers to discuss the process and benefits of public banking.

New York

Requirements in New York previously required healthcare providers to educate expecting parents about their cord blood banking options, but this requirement was repealed. Currently, several pieces of legislation around cord blood banking have been referred to the state's health committee, which include creating a public umbilical cord blood banking program and developing educational materials for public cord banking.

North Carolina

A bill in North Carolina requires free educational materials to be provided by the North Carolina Department of Health and made available to healthcare providers and their patients. The bill also encourages doctors to speak to expecting parents about their banking options early in pregnancy.

North Dakota

A law in North Dakota requires the health department to provide a pamphlet explaining cord blood banking options.

Ohio

Ohio Bill 102 is a law that requires the Ohio Department of Health to provide printable materials to healthcare professionals about cord blood banking. It also encourages doctors to give expecting parents a copy before their third trimester.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma enacted the Danielle Martinez Act in 2004, named after a seven-year-old who died in 1995 due to complications with a bone-marrow transplant while treating leukemia. The act set up a committee that advised legislators on how to address umbilical cord stem cells. Following the committee's recommendation, Bill 3060 became law that requires the Department of Health to establish a public cord blood bank when its funding needs are met. The law also requires the state's health department promptly inform expecting parents about their cord blood banking options.

Pennsylvania

The Umbilical Cord Blood Education and Donation Act in Pennsylvania requires health care providers to tell pregnant people of their cord blood banking options by the end of their second trimester. The act also requires the Department of Health of the Commonwealth to make materials about cord blood banking options available via its website.

Rhode Island

The Umbilical Cord Blood Donation Notification Act became law in Rhode Island, requiring OBGYNs to notify expecting parents of cord blood banking options after the end of their first trimester.

Tennessee

Tennessee legislators mandated prenatal care providers discuss cord banking options with expecting parents by the end of the second trimester. The state's health department is also directed to create printable materials that help expecting parents make informed decisions.

Texas

A bill in Texas established a grant program run by the Health and Human Services Commission for public cord blood banking. Another bill was signed into the Texas Health and Safety Code requiring a brochure about the benefits and options of cord blood banking.

Virginia

The Virginia Cord Blood Bank Initiative established a cord blood institute as a public resource and called for the distribution of cord blood information to healthcare providers to give to expecting parents. In 2010, another requirement was established for the Virginia Department of Health to provide resources related to cord blood banking options on its website.

Washington

Washington state requires prenatal care providers to provide information about the benefits and options of cord blood banking.

Wisconsin

Assembly Bill 270 was signed into law in Wisconsin, requiring prenatal health care providers to inform expecting parents of the option to donate to a public cord blood bank by their 35th week of pregnancy.

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