HB444 Alabama 2010 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Mike Millican

Republican

Co-Sponsors

Todd GreesonJay LoveGerald H. AllenJoe HubbardDuwayne BridgesMary Sue McClurkin

Session

Regular Session 2010

Title

Pregnant women, umbilical cord blood, education regarding the potential benefits of donations, storage, and use, Umbilical Cord Blood Use Act

Summary

Alabama would create the Umbilical Cord Blood Use Act to educate pregnant women about cord blood and offer options to bank or donate.

What This Bill Does

It establishes the Umbilical Cord Blood Use Act and requires education for pregnant women about cord blood and its potential medical uses, storage, and donation options. Health care providers and facilities must inform patients in the last trimester and help them arrange banking or donation when possible, unless medically contraindicated or restricted by religious beliefs. The Department of Public Health must prepare and distribute information about collection, risks, uses, costs, ownership, and availability of cord blood banks. The act also defines key terms and outlines provider obligations, with an effective date after passage.

Who It Affects

• Pregnant women (and their newborns) would receive education about cord blood and have options to bank privately or donate publicly; they could request banking or donation during delivery, subject to safety and other considerations.
• Health care facilities and health care providers would be required to advise patients, provide information, and, where feasible, assist with banking or donating cord blood, while respecting medical safety and religious beliefs and disclosing any decline to patients.

Key Provisions

• Establishes the Umbilical Cord Blood Use Act to educate and provide banking/donation options.
• Defines terms: banking, donating, health care facility, health care provider, and umbilical cord blood.
• Requires health care providers to inform pregnant women in the last trimester about cord blood uses and banking/donation options; requires timely Department publications to support this.
• Department of Public Health must prepare and distribute electronic information by January 1, 2010 covering collection processes, risks, uses, costs, ownership, and availability of cord blood banks.
• Health care facilities/providers must permit banking or donating upon request unless medically inadvisable; declines must be disclosed to patients; religious beliefs exemptions are allowed.
• Effective date: the act takes effect on the first day of the third month after passage and governor approval.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Women