SB45 Alabama 2011 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Cam Ward

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2011

Title

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

Summary

This bill creates the Umbilical Cord Blood Storage Information Act to educate pregnant women about cord blood and to encourage and facilitate donation or private storage.

What This Bill Does

It requires health care providers in the last trimester to inform patients about potential medical uses of cord blood and options to bank or donate. It requires the Department of Public Health to publish information on collection processes, risks, uses, costs, ownership, and availability by January 1, 2012. It obligates health care facilities and providers to assist with banking or donating if requested, unless medically inadvisable or conflicting with religious beliefs, and requires timely notification if they decline. It defines key terms and directs education and outreach related to cord blood storage.

Who It Affects

• Pregnant women and their newborns/families: will receive education about cord blood and options to bank or donate, and will have access to related information and services.
• Health care providers and health care facilities: must inform patients, assist with collection if requested, and coordinate with public health information efforts; may decline in certain cases but must inform patients, and are subject to defined restrictions.

Key Provisions

• Establishes the Umbilical Cord Blood Storage Information Act to educate pregnant women and others about cord blood and its potential medical uses, and to provide opportunities to donate after birth.
• Defines banking (private storage) and donating (public storage) and other terms such as health care facility, health care provider, and umbilical cord blood.
• Requires health care providers in the last trimester to advise patients on cord blood uses and options for banking or donating; requires dissemination of Department of Public Health information (via website or publications).
• Requires the Department of Public Health to publish by Jan 1, 2012 electronic materials covering collection processes, risks, uses/benefits, costs, ownership, availability of banks, and resources.
• Requires health care facilities and providers to permit and assist with banking or donating on request, unless medically inadvisable or conflicts with religious beliefs; declines must be communicated to patients.
• States that the act does not create a medical standard of care and that noncompliance is not a breach of medical standards.
• Sets the effective date as the first day of the third month after passage.

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