42 U.S.C. § 274k
National Program
The Secretary shall, through a public process, recognize one or more accreditation entities for the accreditation of cord blood banks.
In carrying out subparagraph (A)(iv), not later than 1 year after
In this paragraph, the term “remote collection” means the collection of cord blood units at locations that do not have written contracts with cord blood banks for collection support.
The Secretary shall ensure that health care professionals and patients are able to search electronically for and facilitate access to, in the manner and to the extent defined by the Secretary and consistent with the functions described in paragraphs (1)(A) and (2)(A)(i), cells from bone marrow donors and cord blood units through a single point of access.
The Secretary shall require all recipients of contracts under this section to make available a standard dataset for purposes of subparagraph (A) in a standardized electronic format that enables transplant physicians to compare among and between bone marrow donors and cord blood units to ensure the best possible match for the patient.
In carrying out informational and educational activities under subparagraph (A), the Program shall give priority to recruiting individuals to serve as donors of bone marrow for populations that are identified under paragraph (1).
In addition to activities regarding recruitment, the recruitment program under paragraph (1) shall provide information to physicians, other health care professionals, and the public regarding bone marrow transplants from unrelated donors as a treatment option.
The requirements of this subsection shall be carried out by the entity that has been awarded a contract by the Secretary under subsection (a) to carry out the functions described in subsection (d)(1).
In carrying out informational and educational activities under subparagraph (A), the Program shall give priority to supporting the recruitment of pregnant women to serve as donors of cord blood for populations that are identified under paragraph (1).
In addition to activities regarding recruitment, the recruitment program under paragraph (1) shall provide information to physicians, other health care professionals, and the public regarding cord blood transplants from donors as a treatment option.
The requirements of this subsection shall be carried out by the entity that has been awarded a contract by the Secretary under subsection (a) to carry out the functions described in subsection (d)(2).
The Secretary shall establish and maintain, through a contract or other means determined appropriate by the Secretary, an office of patient advocacy (in this subsection referred to as the “Office”).
In addition to the case management services described in paragraph (1) for patients, the Office shall, on behalf of patients who have completed the search for a bone marrow donor or cord blood unit, provide information and education on the process of receiving a transplant, including the post-transplant process.
The Secretary shall establish and provide information to the public on procedures under which the Secretary shall receive and consider comments from interested persons relating to the manner in which the Program is carrying out the duties of the Program. The Secretary may promulgate regulations under this section.
In developing policies affecting the Program, the Secretary shall consult with the Advisory Council, the Department of Defense Marrow Donor Recruitment and Research Program operated by the Department of the Navy, and the board of directors of each entity awarded a contract under this section.
To be eligible to enter into a contract under this section, an entity shall submit to the Secretary and obtain approval of an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary shall by regulation prescribe.
In awarding contracts under this section, the Secretary shall give consideration to the continued safety of donors and patients and other factors deemed appropriate by the Secretary.
Entities eligible to receive a contract under this section shall include private nonprofit entities.
Each recipient of a contract or subcontract under subsection (a) shall keep such records as the Secretary shall prescribe, including records that fully disclose the amount and disposition by the recipient of the proceeds of the contract, the total cost of the undertaking in connection with which the contract was made, and the amount of the portion of the cost of the undertaking supplied by other sources, and such other records as will facilitate an effective audit.
The Secretary and the Comptroller General of the United States shall have access to any books, documents, papers, and records of the recipient of a contract or subcontract entered into under this section that are pertinent to the contract, for the purpose of conducting audits and examinations.
Any person who discloses the content of any record referred to in subsection (d)(4)(D) or (f)(5)(A) without the prior written consent of the donor or potential donor with respect to whom the record is maintained, or in violation of the standards described in subsection (f)(5)(B), shall be imprisoned for not more than 2 years or fined in accordance with title 18, or both.
Not less frequently than every 2 years, the Secretary, in consultation with the Director of the National Institutes of Health, the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Advisory Council, and other stakeholders, where appropriate given relevant expertise, shall conduct a review of the state of the science of using adult stem cells and birthing tissues to develop new types of therapies for patients, for the purpose of considering the potential inclusion of such new types of therapies in the Program.
Section 2 of the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005, referred to in subsec. (d)(2)(A)(iv), (B), is section 2 of Pub. L. 109–129,
2021—Subsec. (a)(7). Pub. L. 117–15, § 2(a), added par. (7).
Subsec. (d)(2)(B). Pub. L. 117–15, § 2(b)(2), struck out at end “If the Secretary cannot identify a project as described in the preceding sentence, the Secretary shall submit a plan, not later than 180 days after the date on which the Secretary was required to identify such a project, to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives for expanding collection of high quality cord blood units, consistent with the requirements under the National Cord Blood Inventory program under section 2 of the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005 and the inventory goal. Each such plan shall be made available to the public.”
Pub. L. 117–15, § 2(b)(1), made technical amendment to directory language of Pub. L. 114–104, § 2(a)(2). See 2015 Amendment note below.
Subsec. (o). Pub. L. 117–15, § 2(c), added subsec. (o).
2015—Subsec. (d)(2)(B). Pub. L. 114–104, § 2(a)(2), as amended by Pub. L. 117–15, § 2(b)(1), inserted “including remote collection,” after “goal of increasing collections of high quality cord blood units,”.
Pub. L. 114–104, § 2(a)(1), substituted “expanding collection” for “expanding remote collection”.
2010—Subsec. (a)(6). Pub. L. 111–264, § 2(b)(1), added par. (6) and struck out former par. (6) which read as follows: “The Secretary, acting through the Advisory Council, shall submit to the Congress—
“(A) an annual report on the activities carried out under this section; and
“(B) not later than 6 months after
Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 111–264, § 2(b)(2)(A), designated existing provisions as subpar. (A), inserted heading, redesignated former subpars. (A) to (H) as cls. (i) to (viii), respectively, of subpar. (A), added cl. (iv) and struck out former cl. (iv) which related to studies and demonstration and outreach projects for the purpose of increasing cord blood donation, and added subpars. (B) and (C).
Subsec. (d)(3)(A). Pub. L. 111–264, § 2(b)(2)(B), substituted “(2)(A)(i)” for “(2)(A)”.
Subsec. (f)(5)(A). Pub. L. 111–264, § 2(b)(3), added subpar. (A) and struck out former subpar. (A) which read as follows: “require the establishment of a system of strict confidentiality of records relating to the identity, address, HLA type, and managing marrow donor center for marrow donors and potential marrow donors; and”.
2005—Pub. L. 109–129 amended section generally, substituting provisions relating to the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program for provisions relating to the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry.
1998—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 105–196, § 2(a), substituted “(referred to in this part as the ‘Registry’) that has the purpose of increasing the number of transplants for recipients suitably matched to biologically unrelated donors of bone marrow, and that meets” for “(referred to in this part as the ‘Registry’) that meets” and substituted “under the direction of a board of directors meeting the following requirements:” and pars. (1) to (4) for “under the direction of a board of directors that shall include representatives of marrow donor centers, marrow transplant centers, persons with expertise in the social science, and the general public.”
Subsec. (b)(2) to (8). Pub. L. 105–196, § 2(b)(1), added pars. (2) to (7), redesignated former par. (7) as (8), and struck out former pars. (2) to (6) which read as follows:
“(2) establish a system for patient advocacy, separate from mechanisms for donor advocacy, that directly assists patients, their families, and their physicians in the search for an unrelated marrow donor;
“(3) increase the representation of individuals from racial and ethnic minority groups in the pool of potential donors for the Registry in order to enable an individual in a minority group, to the extent practicable, to have a comparable chance of finding a suitable unrelated donor as would an individual not in a minority group;
“(4) provide information to physicians, other health care professionals, and the public regarding bone marrow transplantation;
“(5) recruit potential bone marrow donors;
“(6) collect, analyze, and publish data concerning bone marrow donation and transplantation; and”.
Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 105–196, § 2(c), (d), added subsecs. (c) and (d). Former subsecs. (c) and (d) redesignated (e) and (f), respectively.
Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 105–196, § 2(c), redesignated subsec. (c) as (e). Former subsec. (e) redesignated (g).
Subsec. (e)(4). Pub. L. 105–196, § 2(e), added par. (4) and struck out former par. (4) which read as follows: “standards that require the provision of information to patients, their families, and their physicians at the start of the search process concerning—
“(A) the resources available through the Registry;
“(B) all other marrow donor registries meeting the standards described in this paragraph; and
“(C) in the case of the Registry—
“(i) the comparative costs of all charges by marrow transplant centers incurred by patients prior to transplantation; and
“(ii) the success rates of individual marrow transplant centers;”.
Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 105–196, § 2(c), (g)(1), redesignated subsec. (d) as (f) and substituted “subsection (e)” for “subsection (c)”. Former subsec. (f) redesignated (h).
Subsecs. (g) to (i). Pub. L. 105–196, § 2(c), redesignated subsecs. (e) to (g) as (g) to (i), respectively. Former subsecs. (h) and (i) redesignated (j) and (k), respectively.
Subsec. (j). Pub. L. 105–196, § 2(c), redesignated subsec. (h) as (j) and struck out heading and text of former subsec. (j). Text read as follows: “There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $15,000,000 for fiscal year 1991 and such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 1992 and 1993.”
Subsec. (k). Pub. L. 105–196, § 2(c), (g)(2), redesignated subsec. (i) as (k) and substituted “subsection (e)(5)(A)” for “subsection (c)(5)(A)” and “subsection (e)(5)(B)” for “subsection (c)(5)(B)”.
Subsec. (l). Pub. L. 105–196, § 2(f), added subsec. (l).
Pub. L. 117–15, § 2(b)(1),
Pub. L. 105–196, § 7,
Pub. L. 101–616, title I, § 102,
Pub. L. 109–129, § 2,
Pub. L. 105–196, § 2(b)(2),
Pub. L. 105–196, § 5,
Pub. L. 105–196, § 6,