Phoenix (Thursday, July 31, 2014) – An investigation by Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne and the FBI has triggered U.S. Representative Paul Gosar to prepare H.R. 5318, the Label and Transport Tissues Safety Act of 2014.
H.R. 5318, known as the Label and Transport Tissues Safety Act of 2014, sets specific rules for the transport of human tissues across state lines. These rules include proper labeling of the tissue sample. Key components of the bill include tissue bank of origin, type of specimen, unique donor identifier, cause of death, known infectious diseases, and certification that proper protective equipment and universal precautions were used when handling human tissue. Additionally, the bill gives the Secretary of Human Services the ability to license non-transplant tissue banks and sets a violation and penalty structure that includes fines and prison time for violations of this act.
"I'm very pleased to see that Congressman Gosar took action upon learning of the problems and challenges with the few regulations in the body donation industry," said Attorney General Horne. "This legislation takes the first major steps in bringing regulation and order to an industry that has operated like it's the wild, wild, west at the expense of human safety and proper precaution against the spread of infectious disease."
Horne continued, "This landmark legislation is due, in part, to a major joint investigation by the Arizona Attorney General's Office and the FBI. While it is always tragic that we have to conduct these types of investigations, Paul's legislation is moving this industry in the direction of accountability and in the interests of public safety. I expect to offer legislation in the upcoming legislative session to address state specific issues.”