Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Arkansas General Assembly, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
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1 State of Arkansas A Bill
2 95th General Assembly
3 Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1310
4
5 By: Representative Gramlich
6 By: Senator Flippo
7
8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO AMEND THE NEWBORN UMBILICAL CORD BLOOD
10 INITIATIVE ACT; TO ABOLISH THE ARKANSAS COMMISSION
11 FOR THE NEWBORN UMBILICAL CORD BLOOD INITIATIVE; TO
12 TRANSFER ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NEWBORN
13 UMBILICAL CORD BLOOD BANK TO THE UNIVERSITY OF
14 ARKANSAS FOR MEDICAL SCIENCES; TO DECLARE AN
15 EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
16
17
18 Subtitle
19 TO AMEND THE NEWBORN UMBILICAL CORD
20 BLOOD INITIATIVE ACT; TO ABOLISH THE
21 ARKANSAS COMMISSION FOR THE NEWBORN
22 UMBILICAL CORD BLOOD INITIATIVE; AND TO
23 DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.
24
25 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
26
27 SECTION 1. DO NOT CODIFY. Abolition of the Arkansas Commission for
28 the Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood Initiative.
29 (a) The Arkansas Commission for the Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood
30 Initiative is abolished, and its authority, duties, functions, records,
31 contracts, personnel, property, and unexpended balances of appropriations,
32 allocations, and other funds, including without limitation the functions of
33 budgeting or purchasing, are transferred to the University of Arkansas for
34 Medical Sciences.
35 (b) The Arkansas Commission for the Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood
36 Initiative's statutory powers, duties, and functions, including without
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1 limitation the functions of budgeting or purchasing, records, contracts,
2 personnel, property, and unexpended balances of appropriations, allocations,
3 and other funds are transferred to the University of Arkansas for Medical
4 Sciences.
5 (c)(1) The abolishment of the Arkansas Commission for the Newborn
6 Umbilical Cord Blood Initiative does not affect the orders, rules,
7 directives, registration, licensing, or standards made or promulgated by the
8 Arkansas Commission for the Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood Initiative before
9 the effective date of this act.
10 (2) The orders, rules, directives, registration, licensing, and
11 standards of the Arkansas Commission for the Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood
12 Initiative shall continue to be in effect until they are amended or repealed
13 under authority given by law.
14
15 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code � 20-8-504 is amended to read as follows:
16 20-8-504. Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood Initiative Bank.
17 (a)(1) On or before June 30, 2008, the Arkansas Commission for the
18 Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood Initiative The University of Arkansas for
19 Medical Sciences shall establish a network of postnatal tissue and fluid
20 banks in partnership with one (1) or more public or private colleges or
21 universities, public or private hospitals, nonprofit organizations, or
22 private firms and maintain the Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood Bank in this
23 state for the purpose of collecting and storing postnatal tissue and fluid.
24 (2) The Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood Bank shall create a
25 voluntary program to make tissue and fluid available for scientific research
26 and medical treatment in accordance with this subchapter.
27 (3) A parent of a child born in this state may voluntarily
28 contribute postnatal tissue and fluid to the Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood
29 Bank.
30 (b)(1) The commission Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood Bank shall develop
31 a voluntary program to educate pregnant patients women with respect to the
32 banking of postnatal tissue and fluid.
33 (2) The program shall include:
34 (A) An explanation of the difference between public and
35 private postnatal tissue and fluid banking programs;
36 (B) The medical process involved in the collection and
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1 storage of postnatal tissue and fluid;
2 (C) The current and potential future medical uses of
3 stored postnatal tissue and fluid;
4 (D) The benefits and risks involved in the banking of
5 postnatal tissue and fluid; and
6 (E) The availability and cost of storing postnatal tissue
7 and fluid in public and private umbilical cord blood banks.
8
9 SECTION 3. Arkansas Code � 20-8-505 is repealed.
10 20-8-505. Arkansas Commission for the Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood
11 Initiative -- Creation -- Members.
12 (a) The Arkansas Commission for the Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood
13 Initiative is created.
14 (b)(1) The commission shall consist of eleven (11) members appointed
15 as follows:
16 (A) Three (3) members appointed by the Governor as
17 follows:
18 (i) One (1) member who is a physician licensed by
19 the Arkansas State Medical Board;
20 (ii) One (1) member who has a financial background;
21 and
22 (iii) One (1) member who has a legal background or an
23 ethicist background, or both;
24 (B) Three (3) members appointed by the Speaker of the
25 House of Representatives as follows:
26 (i) One (1) member who is a physician licensed by
27 the board;
28 (ii) One (1) member who has a financial background;
29 and
30 (iii) One (1) member who has a legal background or an
31 ethicist background, or both;
32 (C) Three (3) members appointed by the President Pro
33 Tempore of the Senate as follows:
34 (i) One (1) member who is a physician licensed by
35 the board;
36 (ii) One (1) member who has a financial background;
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1 and
2 (iii) One (1) member who has a legal background or an
3 ethicist background, or both;
4 (D) The Dean of the Fay W. Boozman College of Public
5 Health of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences or his or her
6 designee; and
7 (E) The Secretary of the Department of Health or his or
8 her designee.
9 (2) The commission shall include one (1) consultant, nonvoting
10 member who shall be the Director of Cell Therapy and Transfusion Medicine of
11 the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
12 (c) The Governor shall designate one (1) member as chair of the
13 commission.
14 (d) The chair shall call the first meeting of the commission within
15 sixty (60) days of his or her appointment.
16 (e)(1) At the first meeting of the commission, the members shall draw
17 lots so that three (3) members serve two-year terms, three (3) members serve
18 three-year terms, and three (3) members serve four-year terms.
19 (2) After the initial terms, members shall serve four-year
20 terms.
21 (f) The commission shall meet at least one (1) time per year.
22 (g)(1) A majority of the membership of the commission shall constitute
23 a quorum.
24 (2) A majority vote of those members present shall be required
25 for any action of the commission.
26 (h) Vacancies on the commission due to death, resignation, removal, or
27 other causes shall be filled in the same manner as is provided in this
28 section for initial appointments.
29
30 SECTION 4. Arkansas Code � 20-8-506 is amended to read as follows:
31 20-8-506. Arkansas Commission for the Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood
32 Initiative Medical director of Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood Bank -- Powers and
33 duties.
34 (a) The Arkansas Commission for the Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood
35 Initiative medical director of the Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood Bank shall:
36 (1) Investigate the implementation of this subchapter and
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1 recommend improvements in this subchapter to the General Assembly;
2 (2) Make available to the public the records of all meetings of
3 the commission and of all business transacted by the commission;
4 (3)(2) Oversee the operations of the Newborn Umbilical Cord
5 Blood Bank, including without limitation the approval of all fees established
6 to cover administration, collection, and storage costs;
7 (4)(3) Undertake the Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood Initiative by
8 promoting awareness of the blood bank and encouraging Promote awareness of
9 the Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood Bank and encourage donation of postnatal
10 tissue and fluid to the blood bank;
11 (5)(4) Ensure the privacy of persons who donate umbilical cord
12 blood, amniotic fluid, and placental tissue to the blood bank;
13 (6)(5) Develop a plan for making postnatal tissue and fluid
14 collected under the Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood Initiative the Newborn
15 Umbilical Cord Blood Bank available for scientific research and medical
16 treatment in compliance with all relevant national practice and quality
17 standards;
18 (7)(6) Develop a plan for private storage of postnatal tissue
19 and fluid for medical treatment; and
20 (8)(7) Participate in the National Cord Blood Program and
21 register postnatal tissue and fluid collected with registries operating in
22 connection with the National Cord Blood Program;
23 (9) If funds are available, request the Department of Health to
24 employ staff and enter into contracts necessary to implement this subchapter,
25 and reimburse the department for the cost of implementing this subchapter;
26 and
27 (10) Report annually to the General Assembly on or before October
28 1 of each year concerning the activities of the commission.
29 (b) The commission medical director of the Newborn Umbilical Cord
30 Blood Bank may seek additional funding from any source, including without
31 limitation federal grants and private grants.
32 (c) The medical director of the Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood Bank
33 shall be a faculty member at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
34
35 SECTION 5. Arkansas Code � 25-43-802(a)(8), concerning the state
36 entities transferred to the Department of Health, is repealed.
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1 (8) The Arkansas Commission for the Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood
2 Initiative, created under � 20-8-505;
3
4 SECTION 6. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the
5 General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that it is important to the
6 citizens of Arkansas that state government services be provided in an
7 efficient and cost-effective manner; that the abolition of commissions that
8 are not operational is an effective way to achieve both operational
9 efficiencies and economies of scale; that this act is immediately necessary
10 to obtain cost efficiencies and streamline the provision of government
11 services without delay for the benefit of Arkansas taxpayers to allow
12 services that preserve the health, safety, and property of Arkansas citizens;
13 and that this act transferring the duties of the Arkansas Commission for the
14 Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood Initiative to the University of Arkansas for
15 Medical Sciences and abolishment of the Arkansas Commission for the Newborn
16 Umbilical Cord Blood Initiative should become effective on July 1, 2025, to
17 coincide with the appropriation bills of the University of Arkansas and
18 ensure that the Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood Bank provides its expanded vital
19 services as the transfer of duties is implemented and does not experience any
20 issues with funding under the transfer of duties. Therefore, an emergency is
21 declared to exist, and this act being necessary for the preservation of the
22 public peace, health, and safety shall become effective on July 1, 2025.
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6 01/29/2025 2:04:56 PM JMB155Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.