(a) There is established the Connecticut Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Board. The board shall not be construed to be a department, institution, agency or political subdivision of the state.

(b) The powers of the board shall be vested in and exercised by the following members:

(1) One appointed by the Governor, who shall be a medical director or chief scientist with knowledge of umbilical cord blood banking and affiliated with an entity that is recognized by the Department of Public Health;

(2) One appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall be a licensed physician with experience in transplanting units of umbilical cord blood or other stem cells;

(3) One appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, who shall be a licensed physician who: (A) Has expertise and is currently practicing in obstetrics, (B) practices at a birthing hospital that participates in umbilical cord blood collection, and (C) is affiliated with a private university hospital;

(4) One appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives, who shall be a licensed physician who: (A) Has expertise and is currently practicing in obstetrics, (B) practices at a birthing hospital that participates in umbilical cord blood collection, and (C) is affiliated with a public university hospital;

(5) One appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives, who shall be a licensed physician who: (A) Has expertise and is currently practicing in obstetrics, and (B) practices at a birthing hospital that participates in umbilical cord blood collection;

(6) One appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, who shall be a member of a nonprofit umbilical cord blood foundation with knowledge of umbilical cord blood banking issues;

(7) One appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, who shall have expertise concerning the regulatory practices of the federal Food and Drug Administration and the federal Health Resources and Services Administration; and

(8) The Commissioner of Public Health, or the commissioner's designee.

(c) All initial appointments to the board shall be made on or before October 1, 2011. The member appointed by the Governor shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor but not longer than the term of office of the Governor or until the member's successor is appointed and has qualified, whichever term is longer. Each board member appointed by a member of the General Assembly shall serve in accordance with the provisions of section 4-1a. The Governor shall fill any vacancy for the unexpired term of a member appointed by the Governor. The appropriate legislative appointing authority shall fill any vacancy for the unexpired term of a member appointed by such authority. Any member shall be eligible for reappointment.

(d) The chairperson of the board shall be appointed by the Governor from among the members of the board. The chairperson shall schedule the first meeting of the board, which shall be held not later than November 1, 2011. Thereafter, meetings of the board shall be held quarterly and at such other time or times as the chairperson deems necessary.

(e) Appointed members may not designate a representative to perform in their absence their respective duties under this section. Any appointed member who fails to attend three consecutive meetings of the board or who fails to attend fifty per cent of all meetings of the board held during any calendar year shall be deemed to have resigned from the board. The appointing authority for any member may remove such member for inefficiency, neglect of duty or misconduct in office after giving the member a written copy of the charges against the member and an opportunity to be heard, in person or by counsel, in the member's defense, upon not less than ten days' notice. If any member shall be so removed, the appointing authority for such member shall file in the office of the Secretary of the State a complete statement of charges made against such member and the appointing authority's findings on such statement of charges, together with a complete record of the proceedings.

(f) All members other than the Commissioner of Public Health may engage in private employment, or in a profession or business, subject to any applicable laws, rules and regulations of the state or federal government regarding official ethics or conflict of interest.

(g) Five members of the board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business or the exercise of any power of the board. For the transaction of any business or the exercise of any power of the board, the board may act by a majority of the members present at any meeting at which a quorum is in attendance.

(h) The board may consult with such parties, public or private, as it deems desirable in exercising its duties.

(i) The board may adopt written policies and procedures to carry out its statutory purposes.

(j) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, it shall not constitute a conflict of interest for a trustee, director, partner or officer of any person, firm or corporation, or any individual having a financial interest in a person, firm or corporation, to serve as a member of the board, provided such trustee, director, partner, officer or individual shall abstain from deliberation, action or vote by the board in specific respect to such person, firm or corporation.

(P.A. 11-160, S. 3.)

History: P.A. 11-160 effective July 13, 2011.