|  | 
      
        |  | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED | 
      
        |  | AN ACT | 
      
        |  | relating to the research, collection, and use of adult stem cells. | 
      
        |  | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
      
        |  | SECTION 1.  Subtitle H, Title 3, Education Code, is amended | 
      
        |  | by adding Chapter 156 to read as follows: | 
      
        |  | CHAPTER 156.  ADULT STEM CELL RESEARCH PROGRAM | 
      
        |  | Sec. 156.001.  DEFINITIONS.  In this chapter: | 
      
        |  | (1)  "Adult stem cell" means an undifferentiated cell | 
      
        |  | that is: | 
      
        |  | (A)  found in differentiated tissue; and | 
      
        |  | (B)  able to renew itself and differentiate to | 
      
        |  | yield all or nearly all of the specialized cell types of the tissue | 
      
        |  | from which the cell originated. | 
      
        |  | (2)  "Consortium" means the Texas Adult Stem Cell | 
      
        |  | Research Consortium. | 
      
        |  | (3)  "Institution of higher education" means an | 
      
        |  | institution of higher education as defined by Section 61.003 or a | 
      
        |  | private college or university that receives state funds. | 
      
        |  | (4)  "Program" means the adult stem cell research | 
      
        |  | program established under this chapter. | 
      
        |  | (5)  "Research coordinating board" means the Texas | 
      
        |  | Adult Stem Cell Research Coordinating Board. | 
      
        |  | Sec. 156.002.  COMPOSITION OF RESEARCH COORDINATING BOARD. | 
      
        |  | (a)  The Texas Adult Stem Cell Research Coordinating Board is | 
      
        |  | composed of seven members appointed as follows: | 
      
        |  | (1)  three members who are interested persons, | 
      
        |  | including at least one person who represents an institution of | 
      
        |  | higher education and one person who is a representative of an | 
      
        |  | advocacy organization representing patients, appointed by the | 
      
        |  | governor; | 
      
        |  | (2)  two members who are interested persons appointed | 
      
        |  | by the lieutenant governor; and | 
      
        |  | (3)  two members who are interested persons appointed | 
      
        |  | by the speaker of the house of representatives. | 
      
        |  | (b)  The governor shall designate as the presiding officer of | 
      
        |  | the research coordinating board a board member appointed under | 
      
        |  | Subsection (a)(1) who represents an institution of higher | 
      
        |  | education.  The presiding officer serves in that capacity at the | 
      
        |  | will of the governor. | 
      
        |  | (c)  The members of the research coordinating board serve | 
      
        |  | staggered six-year terms.  If a vacancy occurs on the board, the | 
      
        |  | appropriate appointing authority shall appoint, in the same manner | 
      
        |  | as the original appointment, another person to serve for the | 
      
        |  | remainder of the unexpired term. | 
      
        |  | Sec. 156.003.  CONFLICT OF INTEREST.  (a)  In this section, | 
      
        |  | "Texas trade association" means a cooperative and voluntarily | 
      
        |  | joined association of business or professional competitors in this | 
      
        |  | state designed to assist its members and its industry or profession | 
      
        |  | in dealing with mutual business or professional problems and in | 
      
        |  | promoting their common interest. | 
      
        |  | (b)  A person may not be a member of the research | 
      
        |  | coordinating board if: | 
      
        |  | (1)  the person is an officer, employee, or paid | 
      
        |  | consultant of a Texas trade association in the field of medicine; | 
      
        |  | (2)  the person's spouse is an officer, manager, or paid | 
      
        |  | consultant of a Texas trade association in the field of medicine; or | 
      
        |  | (3)  the person is a member of the Texas Higher | 
      
        |  | Education Coordinating Board. | 
      
        |  | (c)  A person may not be a member of the research | 
      
        |  | coordinating board if the person is required to register as a | 
      
        |  | lobbyist under Chapter 305, Government Code, because of the | 
      
        |  | person's activities for compensation on behalf of a profession | 
      
        |  | related to the operation of the board. | 
      
        |  | Sec. 156.004.  COMPOSITION OF CONSORTIUM.  (a)  The research | 
      
        |  | coordinating board shall establish the Texas Adult Stem Cell | 
      
        |  | Research Consortium. | 
      
        |  | (b)  The consortium is composed of participating | 
      
        |  | institutions of higher education and businesses that: | 
      
        |  | (1)  accept public money for adult stem cell research; | 
      
        |  | or | 
      
        |  | (2)  otherwise agree to participate in the consortium. | 
      
        |  | Sec. 156.005.  ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAM; GUIDELINES AND | 
      
        |  | PROCEDURES.  (a)  The research coordinating board shall administer | 
      
        |  | the program to: | 
      
        |  | (1)  make grants and loans to consortium members for: | 
      
        |  | (A)  adult stem cell research projects, including | 
      
        |  | projects to develop therapies, protocols, or medical procedures | 
      
        |  | involving adult stem cells; | 
      
        |  | (B)  the development of facilities to be used | 
      
        |  | solely for adult stem cell research projects; and | 
      
        |  | (C)  the commercialization of products or | 
      
        |  | technology involving adult stem cell research and treatments; | 
      
        |  | (2)  support consortium members in all stages of the | 
      
        |  | process of developing treatments and cures based on adult stem cell | 
      
        |  | research, beginning with initial laboratory research through | 
      
        |  | successful clinical trials; | 
      
        |  | (3)  establish appropriate regulatory standards and | 
      
        |  | oversight bodies for: | 
      
        |  | (A)  adult stem cell research conducted by | 
      
        |  | consortium members; and | 
      
        |  | (B)  the development of facilities for consortium | 
      
        |  | members conducting adult stem cell research; and | 
      
        |  | (4)  assist consortium members in applying for grants | 
      
        |  | or loans under the program. | 
      
        |  | (b)  The research coordinating board shall develop research | 
      
        |  | priorities, guidelines, and procedures for providing grants and | 
      
        |  | loans for specific research projects conducted by consortium | 
      
        |  | members.  The priorities, guidelines, and procedures must require | 
      
        |  | the grants and loans to be made on a competitive, peer review basis. | 
      
        |  | Sec. 156.006.  FUNDING.  The program shall be funded by | 
      
        |  | gifts, grants, and donations described by Section 156.007.  The | 
      
        |  | program may not be funded by legislative appropriations. | 
      
        |  | Sec. 156.007.  GIFTS, GRANTS, AND DONATIONS.  The consortium | 
      
        |  | shall solicit, and the research coordinating board may accept on | 
      
        |  | behalf of the consortium, a gift, grant, or donation made from any | 
      
        |  | public or private source for the purpose of promoting adult stem | 
      
        |  | cell research or commercialization. | 
      
        |  | Sec. 156.008.  BIENNIAL REPORT.  Not later than September 1 | 
      
        |  | of each even-numbered year, the research coordinating board shall | 
      
        |  | submit a report of the board's activities and recommendations to | 
      
        |  | the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and to the governor, | 
      
        |  | the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of | 
      
        |  | representatives, and the presiding officer of each legislative | 
      
        |  | standing committee or subcommittee with jurisdiction over higher | 
      
        |  | education. | 
      
        |  | SECTION 2.  Section 162.001, Health and Safety Code, is | 
      
        |  | amended by adding Subdivision (4) to read as follows: | 
      
        |  | (4)  "Adult stem cell" means an undifferentiated cell | 
      
        |  | that is: | 
      
        |  | (A)  found in differentiated tissue; and | 
      
        |  | (B)  able to renew itself and differentiate to | 
      
        |  | yield all or nearly all of the specialized cell types of the tissue | 
      
        |  | from which the cell originated. | 
      
        |  | SECTION 3.  Chapter 162, Health and Safety Code, is amended | 
      
        |  | by adding Section 162.020 to read as follows: | 
      
        |  | Sec. 162.020.  ADULT STEM CELL COLLECTION.  Blood obtained | 
      
        |  | by a blood bank may be used for the collection of adult stem cells if | 
      
        |  | the donor consents in writing to that use. | 
      
        |  | SECTION 4.  The heading to Chapter 1003, Health and Safety | 
      
        |  | Code, is amended to read as follows: | 
      
        |  | CHAPTER 1003.  [ AUTOLOGOUS STEM CELL BANK FOR RECIPIENTS OF  | 
      
        |  | BLOOD AND TISSUE COMPONENTS WHO ARE THE LIVE HUMAN DONORS  | 
      
        |  | OF THE] ADULT STEM CELLS | 
      
        |  | SECTION 5.  Chapter 1003, Health and Safety Code, is amended | 
      
        |  | by adding Sections 1003.002 and 1003.003 to read as follows: | 
      
        |  | Sec. 1003.002.  GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ADULT STEM CELL USE | 
      
        |  | IN HEALTH CARE.  A person using adult stem cells in the provision of | 
      
        |  | health care: | 
      
        |  | (1)  must use adult stem cells that are properly | 
      
        |  | manufactured and stored; and | 
      
        |  | (2)  may only use adult stem cells in a clinical trial | 
      
        |  | approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration. | 
      
        |  | Sec. 1003.003.  ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ADULT STEM CELL | 
      
        |  | USE IN HOSPITALS.  A hospital may use adult stem cells in a | 
      
        |  | procedure if: | 
      
        |  | (1)  a physician providing services at the hospital | 
      
        |  | determines that the use of adult stem cells in the procedure is | 
      
        |  | appropriate; | 
      
        |  | (2)  the patient consents in writing to the use; | 
      
        |  | (3)  the requirements for stem cell use under Section | 
      
        |  | 1003.002 are met; | 
      
        |  | (4)  the manufacturing processes for the adult stem | 
      
        |  | cells satisfy current good manufacturing practices adopted by the | 
      
        |  | United States Food and Drug Administration; and | 
      
        |  | (5)  appropriate state and federal guidelines on the | 
      
        |  | use of adult stem cells are followed. | 
      
        |  | SECTION 6.  (a)  As soon as practicable after the effective | 
      
        |  | date of this Act, the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of | 
      
        |  | the house of representatives shall appoint members to the Texas | 
      
        |  | Adult Stem Cell Research Coordinating Board, as required by Section | 
      
        |  | 156.002, Education Code, as added by this Act, as follows: | 
      
        |  | (1)  the governor shall appoint one member to a term | 
      
        |  | expiring February 1, 2017, one member to a term expiring February 1, | 
      
        |  | 2019, and one member to a term expiring February 1, 2021; | 
      
        |  | (2)  the lieutenant governor shall appoint one member | 
      
        |  | to a term expiring February 1, 2019, and one member to a term | 
      
        |  | expiring February 1, 2021; and | 
      
        |  | (3)  the speaker of the house of representatives shall | 
      
        |  | appoint one member to a term expiring February 1, 2019, and one | 
      
        |  | member to a term expiring February 1, 2021. | 
      
        |  | (b)  Not later than September 1, 2016, the Texas Adult Stem | 
      
        |  | Cell Research Coordinating Board shall submit the first report of | 
      
        |  | the board's activities and recommendations as required by Chapter | 
      
        |  | 156, Education Code, as added by this Act. | 
      
        |  | SECTION 7.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |