1-1     By:  George, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Lindsay)        H.B. No. 3572
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 2, 2001;
 1-3     May 3, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on Health
 1-4     and Human Services; May 8, 2001, reported favorably by the
 1-5     following vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 8, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to establishing an unrelated donor umbilical cord blood
 1-9     bank.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1.  DEFINITIONS. In this Act:
1-12                 (1)  "Commissioner" means the commissioner of health
1-13     and human services.
1-14                 (2)  "Commission" means the Health and Human Services
1-15     Commission.
1-16           SECTION 2.  GRANT PROGRAM. (a)  Subject to available funds,
1-17     the commission shall establish a program to award a grant of
1-18     start-up money for the establishment in this state of an umbilical
1-19     cord blood bank for recipients of blood and blood components who
1-20     are unrelated to the donors of the blood.
1-21           (b)  The commissioner by rule shall establish eligibility
1-22     criteria for awarding the grant.  In awarding the grant, the
1-23     commission shall consider:
1-24                 (1)  the ability of the applicant to establish,
1-25     operate, and maintain an unrelated donor umbilical cord blood bank
1-26     and to provide related services;
1-27                 (2)  the demonstrated experience of the applicant in
1-28     operating similar facilities in this state; and
1-29                 (3)  the applicant's commitment to continue to operate
1-30     and maintain  an unrelated donor umbilical cord blood bank after
1-31     the expiration of the term of the contract required by Subsection
1-32     (c) of this section.
1-33           (c)  The recipient of the grant awarded under this Act must
1-34     enter into a contract under which the recipient agrees to:
1-35                 (1)  operate and maintain an unrelated donor umbilical
1-36     cord blood bank in this state at least until the eighth anniversary
1-37     of the date of the award of the grant under this Act;
1-38                 (2)  gather, collect, and preserve umbilical cord blood
1-39     only from live births; and
1-40                 (3)  comply with any financial or reporting
1-41     requirements imposed on the recipient under rules adopted by the
1-42     commissioner.
1-43           (d)  The grant awarded under this Act is governed by Chapter
1-44     783, Government Code, and rules adopted under that chapter.
1-45           SECTION 3.  RULES. Not later than January 1, 2002, the
1-46     commissioner shall adopt rules necessary to implement this Act.
1-47           SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September 1,
1-48     2001.
1-49                                  * * * * *