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Committee approves bill to eliminate umbilical cord blood bank commission, transfers oversight to UAMS and health department
Summary
House members voted to eliminate the commission that oversaw the state's umbilical cord blood bank and transfer operational authority to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and the Arkansas Department of Health, citing inactivity and no recent appointments to the commission.
The House Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee voted to advance House Bill 1310, which would eliminate the Umbilical Cord Blood Bank Commission and transfer responsibility for running the umbilical cord blood bank to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and the Arkansas Department of Health.
Representative Grama, sponsor of the bill, told the committee the commission was created to oversee the bank but has not met in three years and has had no new appointments. "This does not eliminate the bank. What essentially has happened is, the commission was set up to create and make sure that the blood bank was the umbilical cord blood bank was running. It is running now. They have not met in 3 years. There have been no new appointments to the commission. So, the Arkansas Department of Health and UAMS think it's best to eliminate some red tape, make government smaller, and eliminate this commission, and, give the authority to, run the umbilical cord blood bank to, UAMS and the Department of Health," Grama said.
No public testimony for or against the measure was recorded. Representative Pilkington moved that the bill do pass; the committee approved the motion by voice vote and the chair announced the bill passed out of committee.
