Senator Portantino’s & Senator Roth’s Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Program Extension Bill Signed by Governor
For Immediate Release: September 28, 2022
Contact: Lerna Shirinian, (818) 409-0400
Senator Portantino’s & Senator Roth’s Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Program Extension Bill Signed by Governor
Sacramento, CA –Senate Bill 883, jointly authored by Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – Burbank) and Senator Richard D. Roth (D – Riverside), was signed into law by Governor Newsom. The measure extends the sunset date on the Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Program (UCBCP) for an additional five years. Umbilical cord blood stem cells have achieved remarkable success in curing leukemia. The University of California Davis has administered the UCBCP since its inception.
“I am ecstatic that Governor Newsom signed SB 883. The program was initiated by the very first bill I introduced on my very first day in office as an Assemblymember in 2006. It came about through a conversation I had with a friend whose son was cured by a cord blood transplant. The effort has saved lives and will continue to do so when extended. I am grateful for the collaboration and leadership of General Roth who helped get this extension through this year,” commented Senator Portantino.
In 2010, Senator Portantino authored AB 52, which added a funding source for the California’s Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Program. It is a statewide public effort designed to capture the genetic diversity of Californians through the collection of cord blood units for transplantation. Umbilical cord blood is used to treat over eighty life-threatening diseases, including various types of leukemias, immune deficiencies, and lymphomas. According to the University of California, there have been seventy-five transplants to date through this program.
As referenced, the idea for the bill came from a constituent whose son was one of California’s first leukemia patients to successfully receive a cord blood transplant. Senate Bill 883 was authored to keep this lifesaving program going. It extends the sunset date on the Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Program from 2023 to 2027.
“We thank Governor Newsom, Senator Portantino and Senator Roth for their support for extending this lifesaving program that helps ensure that children and adults in the state have access to a diverse supply of umbilical cord blood for transplants to treat more than 80 conditions," said Carrie L. Byington, M.D., University of California Health Executive Vice President.
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