WEST virginia legislature

2022 regular session

Committee Substitute

for

House Bill 4631

By Delegates Walker and Rohrbach

[Originating in the Committee on Health and Human Resources; reported on February 15, 2022]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, by adding thereto a new section, designated §16-21-2, relating to establishing an awareness program; directing the Department of Health and Human Resources to create a website; providing contents of electronic brochure; providing contents of website; and providing for consultation with certain health care providers to promote awareness.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 21. BLOOD DONATIONS.

§16-21-2. Demetry Walker bone marrow and peripheral blood stem donation awareness program.

(a) The Bureau for Public Health shall prepare an online brochure for display on its website.  The information shall be derived from the National Marrow Donor Program, which may be downloaded, and utilized by the commissioner for the purposes of §16-21-2(c), and shall be designed to inform patients of the option to become a bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell donor by registering with the National Marrow Donor Program and to answer common questions about bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cell donations.

(b) The brochure shall describe: 

(1) The health benefits to the community from making a bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell donation through the National Marrow Donor Program;

(2) How to register with the National Marrow Donor Program;

(3) The procedures for making a bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell donation, including notice that there is no charge to the donor or the donor’s family for making the donation;

(4) The circumstances and procedures by which a patient may receive a transfusion of the patient’s previously donated blood; and

(5) Any other aspects of bone marrow or National Marrow Donor Program that the bureau deems appropriate.

(c) The bureau shall promote awareness among health care practitioners and the general public about the option to become a bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell donor. In doing so, the bureau shall consult with the National Marrow Donor Program, and other organizations that are seeking to increase bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cell donation among various ethnic groups within the state in need of these donations.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to establish a bone marrow and peripheral blood stem donation awareness program; directing the Bureau for Public Health to create a website to inform and promote donation awareness; providing contents for an electronic brochure and website; and providing for consultation with health care providers to promote awareness of the federal and any state resources available for donations.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.