Thread: Change to bill on storing newborn blood would require consen

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

What?!! Storing newborn blood? For "research"? You've got to be kidding me!! What is up in Texas? Did some Nazis sneak into your government down there? Throw these bums out of office. Good Grief. Taking blood from babies and storing it for the state????!!!!

Two articles in full:


Parents Sue Texas Health Dept. and Texas A&M over Infant Blood Databank
March 18, 2009


TCRP Press Release

Suit Raises Concerns about Collecting Genetic and DNA Data

Five parents this week filed a federal lawsuit in San Antonio U.S. District Court against the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS), Commissioner David Lakey, M.D., Texas A&M, and Texas A&M Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs Nancy Dickey, M.D., claiming they have unlawfully and deceptively collected blood samples from their children at time of birth and stored those samples indefinitely for undisclosed research purposes, without plaintiffs’ knowledge or consent.

The plaintiffs are Geoffrey Courtney of San Antonio, Andrea Beleno and Maryann Overath of Austin, and Keith Taylor of Houston. Also joining the suit is Nancy Pacheco of Austin, who is expecting a child in August.


Plaintiff Andrea Beleno and her son

The suit alleges that the agencies’ activities constitute unlawful search and seizure and violate fundamental privacy rights, contrary to federal and state law, because at the time newborn children have a blood test to screen them for disease or disorders, TDSHS secretly collects and stores their blood indefinitely for other purposes without telling parents what it is doing or why it is doing it. Law requires newborn screening, but there is no legal authority to “seizeâ€

Outstanding! Americans need to find out who is behind this, what these creeps in the government are up to, then round them up and then lock them up. Americans have enough to worry about without worrying about our government stealing their blood and genetics. It sounds like they're building a Clone Bank to me.