Connecticut

Connecticut has state legislation around cord blood education that follows the Institute of Medicine guidelines and mandates/encourages physicians to educate expectant parents about ALL forms of cord blood banking.  The Connecticut bill was enacted 8 July 2009 and became effective 1 July 2009.

Two years later, the Connecticut House of Representatives approved another bill to create a state public bank of cord blood donations.  The 2011 State Bill 152 was approved 8 June and signed into Public Act 11-160 on 13 July 2011.  The 2011 bill amends the cord blood education provisions of the 2009 bill to create a Connecticut Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Board of 8 appointees to oversee the program.  The program will be run jointly by Yale-New Haven Hospital and the University of Connecticut John Dempsey Hospital.  The bill specifies deadlines of 1 Oct. 2011 to appoint the Collection Board and 1 July 2012 to launch the program.  It remains to be seen whether this program will be able to raise enough funding to operate.