1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to health; requiring the provision of information related to cord blood 
1.3 	banking;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 144.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. [144.968] UMBILICAL CORD BLOOD STORAGE.
1.6 		Subdivision 1.Information to patients. Health care providers who provide 
1.7 	health care services to a pregnant woman, when those services are directly related to 
1.8 	the pregnancy, must, by the 30th week of pregnancy, provide the pregnant woman with 
1.9 	information about cord blood banking that is sufficient to allow an informed decision 
1.10 	on whether to participate in a public or private umbilical cord blood banking program. 
1.11 	Publications prepared by the commissioner according to subdivision 3 must be provided 
1.12 	in a timely manner and shall constitute compliance with this subdivision.
1.13 		Subd. 2.Exemption. Nothing in this section imposes an obligation upon a health 
1.14 	care provider to inform a pregnant woman regarding umbilical cord blood banking options 
1.15 	if that information conflicts with the provider's religious beliefs.
1.16 		Subd. 3.Publications. The commissioner shall make available to health care 
1.17 	providers on the department's Web site printable publications that include the following 
1.18 	information:
1.19 	(1) an explanation of the differences between public and  private umbilical cord 
1.20 	blood banking;
1.21 	(2) medical processes involved in the collection of umbilical cord blood;
1.22 	(3) medical risks to a mother and newborn child of umbilical cord blood collection;
1.23 	(4) current and potential future medical uses and benefits of umbilical cord blood 
1.24 	collection to the mother, the newborn child, and the biological family; 
2.1 	(5) current and potential future medical uses and benefits of umbilical cord blood 
2.2 	collection to persons who are not biologically related to the donor;
2.3 	(6) costs that may be incurred by a pregnant woman who chooses to make an 
2.4 	umbilical cord blood donation;
2.5 	(7) average costs of public and private umbilical cord blood banking;
2.6 	(8) options for ownership and future use of the donated material; and
2.7 	(9) the availability in the state of umbilical cord blood donation and storage 
2.8 	programs.
2.9 		Subd. 4.Donation of umbilical cord blood. (a) Unless it is medically inadvisable, 
2.10 	all health care facilities and health care providers that provide care to pregnant women 
2.11 	during labor and delivery shall, if requested by the woman, permit the pregnant woman to 
2.12 	arrange for an umbilical cord blood donation.
2.13 	(b) Nothing in this section imposes an obligation upon a health care facility or health 
2.14 	care provider to permit an umbilical cord blood donation if, in the provider's professional 
2.15 	judgment, the donation of umbilical cord blood would threaten the health of the mother 
2.16 	or newborn child.
2.17 	(c) Nothing in this section imposes an obligation upon a health care facility or health 
2.18 	care provider to permit an umbilical cord blood donation if the donation conflicts with 
2.19 	the provider's religious beliefs. If a health care facility or health care provider declines to 
2.20 	engage in umbilical cord blood donation, that fact must be disclosed to pregnant patients 
2.21 	of the facility or provider as soon as reasonably feasible.