Cord Blood Storage Bank

Nebraska Legislature Focuses on Cord Blood Donations

State lawmakers in Nebraska may find themselves considering a bill that requires doctors and hospitals to inform women of their option to donate their umbilical cord blood.

Many women are currently not aware of their option to either donate their cord blood to a public cord blood bank, or store their cord blood privately for future use, and Nebraska officials seek to change this.

The bill, LB951 (”Provide for Umbilical Cord Blood Banking”), which was introduced on January 14th by Sen. Gail Kopplin of Gretna, states:

Section 1. The Legislature finds that it is the public policy of this state to promote public awareness of the potential benefits of public or private umbilical cord blood banking and to encourage the donation, collection, and storage of umbilical cord blood for medical treatment and research.

Section 8. The Department of Health and Human Services shall, by January 1, 2009, prepare information in the form of a pamphlet or brochure containing objective information about cord blood banking that is sufficient to allow a pregnant woman to make an informed decision about whether to participate in a public or private cord blood banking program….

Source: Nebraska Legislature