Federal regulations have allowed the collection of DNA samples to occur since 2002.

Change to bill on storing newborn blood would require consent
By Mary Ann Roser | Monday, April 6, 2009, 11:44 AM

The Texas House on Tuesday will consider restrictions on blood taken from newborns that the state stores indefinitely for possible research — with a new twist.

When it was passed out of committee last month, House Bill 1672 by Myra Crownover, R-Denton, would require doctors and other medical providers delivering babies in Texas to provide disclosure forms to parents or guardians about the storage process. It would allow them to opt out to keep the state from storing the blood indefinitely.

That’s not good enough, said Rep. Jodie Laubenberg, R-Parker. She said the onus should be on the state to get consent from parents, not the other way around. She has filed an amendment requiring the Department of State Health Services to obtain written consent from parents or guardians to hold onto the blood — or destroy it within 60 days.

The blood is collected as part of the state’s 44-year-old newborn screening program, which tests for birth defects and other disorders. No consent is required to collect the blood, and department rules do not require consent to store it, either. Once obtained, it becomes state property.

The Statesman ran a story in February about the little-known program after which the Texas Civil Right Project filed a lawsuit on behalf of four parents and a pregnant woman and Crownover filed her bill.

The state health department has said it would consider destroying blood samples from parents who send letters in writing making the request.

When the bill came up for debate in the House this morning, Crownover asked that it be postponed until the end of the calendar, perhaps hoping to work out a deal with Laubenberg on the amendment. Instead, Crownover came back just now and asked that it be postponed until tomorrow morning. You can watch the action here and click on Live House Chamber Stream.


http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/ ... _newb.html