FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 23, 2009
CONTACT: Eduardo Martinez
(916) 319-2044

California Umbilical Cord Collection Program Moves Closer to Implementation

SACRAMENTO, CA – Today the Assembly Health Committee approved legislation which would fund California’s
pioneering Umbilical Cord Blood Program. Assembly Bill (AB) 52, authored by Assemblymember Anthony J.
Portantino, cleared the committee by a vote of 14-2.

“The California Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Program is the key to curing over 70 blood-related diseases such as
leukemia, thalassemia, and sickle cell anemia, yet we throw it away as medical waste,” said Portantino. “With a
modest investment in this program, California and the unique diversity of its people can lead the way in making
umbilical cord blood available to Californians in need.”

Blood retrieved from the umbilical cord is a rich source of stem cells. Like bone marrow, cord blood can be used to
treat many genetic disorders that affect the blood and immune system, leukemia and certain cancers. Stem cells from
cord blood offer advantages over those retrieved from bone marrow. Cord blood stem cells are much easier to obtain
than other stem cells and a broader range of recipients may benefit from them. In spite of all these benefits,
currently 97% of cord blood is discarded along with the placenta. With 500,000 births per year in California, these
figures represent a major missed opportunity to relieve the suffering of thousands Californians.

AB 52 would impose a modest, $2 increase in California’s certified birth certificate fee that would generate
approximately $3 million per year, in addition to already approved federal allotments and private funds.
Additionally, AB 52 would establish confidentiality protections for donors and establish an implementing committee
of experts to set program objectives and keep the program at the cutting edge of cord blood collection.

“When I first learned about cord blood and its potential benefits, I was shocked that it is not treated as a valuable
medical resource,” Portantino continued. “I thought to myself, ‘Something that has the capacity to heal 70 blood-
related diseases ought to be harnessed rather than discarded.’”

“When my wife and I tried to donate our daughter’s cord blood, we found it extremely difficult to do. In order for
this life-saving technology, cord blood needs to be available to anyone that needs it.”

The impetus of the bill stems from the Assemblymember’s own personal experience. Years ago, a close family friend
had a child (named Jordy) who was gravely ill with leukemia, the most common form of childhood cancer. A cord
blood transplant helped rebuild Jordy’s ravaged immune system and today he is a healthy LMU student who aspires
to be a filmmaker.

When Portantino and his wife tried to donate their daughter Bella’s blood, they ran into a host of problems. With
only two hospitals in California that accept cord blood, the family had to find a private bank willing to take Bella’s
blood. After packing the blood on ice and making the shipping arrangements himself, Portantino promised to change
the system if he were ever in a position to do so.

AB 52 will soon be considered by the Assembly Appropriations Committee.