HOUSE FILE 530

BY  COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES

(SUCCESSOR TO HF 165)

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to donation of newborn umbilical cord blood.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

   Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  135.39D  Donation of newborn umbilical cord blood.
   1.  Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary regarding blood donation, an attending prenatal health care provider of a woman who is known to be pregnant shall, prior to the thirty-second week of the woman’s pregnancy, provide the woman with information regarding options for donation of blood extracted from the umbilical cord of the newborn to a public cord blood bank. 
   2.  The department of public health shall provide the information regarding public cord blood banking to be utilized by attending prenatal health care providers under this section. The information provided shall be the applicable informational and educational materials developed by the entity awarded the contract by the health resources and services administration of the United States department of health and human services to operate the cord blood coordinating center.
   3.  For the purposes of this section, an“attending prenatal health care provider” includes a person licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized by law to provide health care services to a pregnant woman within the scope of the person’s profession.
EXPLANATION
   This bill relates to donation of newborn umbilical cord blood. The bill directs an attending prenatal health care provider of a woman known by the provider to be pregnant, to provide the woman, prior to the 32nd week of the pregnancy, with information regarding the options for donation of umbilical cord blood to a public cord blood bank. The bill directs the department of public health to provide the information to be utilized by the providers and defines “attending prenatal health care provider”.