BILL ANALYSIS
------------------------------------------------------------
|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SCR 115|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|1020 N Street, Suite 524 | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
------------------------------------------------------------
THIRD READING
Bill No: SCR 115
Author: DeSaulnier (D)
Amended: As introduced
Vote: 21
WITHOUT REFERENCE TO COMMITTEE OR FILE
SUBJECT : Bone Marrow Donation Awareness Month
SOURCE : Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
DIGEST : This resolution designates the month of October
2010 as Bone Marrow Donation Awareness Month.
ANALYSIS : The resolution makes the following legislative
findings:
1. Since 1987, when Congress authorized the establishment
of a national registry of volunteer bone marrow donors,
the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) has facilitated
10,838 marrow, 421 peripheral blood stem cell, and 13
cord blood transplants.
2. The NMDP states that the number of transplants
facilitated through the national registry is "only a
fraction of the people who can benefit".
3. One of the leading hurdles cited in a report by the
Government Accountability Office is locating a suitably
matched, unrelated donor; a process that is often
CONTINUED
SCR 115
Page
2
difficult, time-consuming, and costly. The average
charge for a patient to complete the donor search is
$20,000 and often, these costs are not covered by health
insurance.
4. Patients will deteriorate, develop major complications,
or die while awaiting potential donors.
5. The most prevalent problem with respect to bone marrow
donation is the continued disparity in the number of
racially and ethnically diverse donors. Of the four
million potential donors on the registry, only 25
percent are donors from racially and ethnically diverse
backgrounds.
6. There is a need to enhance the understanding of the
importance of bone marrow donation, and to encourage
Californians to participate in bone marrow donation
drives.
7. The NMDP operates the Be the Match Registry, the world's
largest and most diverse registry of volunteer bone
marrow donors.
8. There is a need to support programs that reduce search
time for patients and fully type donors whose tissue
compatibility types are less common.
9. The bone marrow registration process is simple. It only
takes a few minutes and requires a cheek swab.
This resolution designates the month of October 2010 as
Bone Marrow Donation Awareness Month.
FISCAL EFFECT : Fiscal Com.: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 6/28/10)
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (source)
CTW:mw 6/28/10 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
SCR 115
Page
3
**** END ****