Senate Bill sb1352
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Florida Senate - 2006 SB 1352
By Senator Aronberg
27-136A-06
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to adult human and animal stem
3 cell research; establishing the Florida Gulf
4 Coast University Institute for Stem Cell
5 Biology; providing the purpose of the
6 institute; providing an appropriation;
7 providing an effective date.
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9 WHEREAS, an estimated 128 million Americans suffer from
10 the crippling economic and psychological burden of chronic,
11 degenerative, and acute diseases and conditions, including
12 juvenile diabetes, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease,
13 sickle cell disease, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease,
14 spinal cord injuries, birth defects, osteoporosis, severe burn
15 injuries, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and
16 HIV/AIDS, and
17 WHEREAS, the costs of treatment and lost productivity
18 of these diseases and conditions in the United States
19 constitute hundreds of billions of dollars every year, and
20 WHEREAS, human stem cell research is a key area of
21 regenerative medicine which offers immense promise for
22 developing new medical therapies and potential cures for these
23 debilitating diseases and conditions and a critical means to
24 explore fundamental questions of biology, and
25 WHEREAS, the United States has historically been a
26 haven for open scientific inquiry and technological
27 innovation, and this environment, combined with the commitment
28 of public and private resources, has made this nation the
29 preeminent world leader in biomedicine and biotechnology, and
30 WHEREAS, the biomedical industry is a critical and
31 growing component of Florida's economy and would be
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Florida Senate - 2006 SB 1352
27-136A-06
1 significantly diminished by limitations imposed on human stem
2 cell research, and
3 WHEREAS, open scientific inquiry and publicly funded
4 research will be essential to realizing the promise of stem
5 cell research and maintaining this state's leadership in
6 biomedicine and biotechnology, and
7 WHEREAS, publicly funded adult stem cell research,
8 conducted under established standards of open scientific
9 exchange, peer review, and public oversight, offers the most
10 timely, efficacious, and responsible means of fulfilling the
11 promise of stem cells to provide regenerative medical
12 therapies and to accelerate the development of new diagnostic
13 and prophylactic capabilities for the early detection of
14 debilitating, incurable diseases, and
15 WHEREAS, stem cell research, including the use of
16 embryonic stem cells for medical research, raises significant
17 ethical and public policy concerns, and, although not unique,
18 the ethical and policy concerns associated with stem cell
19 research must be carefully considered, and
20 WHEREAS, in 2004, 30 states proposed 78 bills relating
21 to stem cell research, and nine states enacted legislation to
22 approve state funding of this research, and
23 WHEREAS, the State of Florida, with its rich legacy of
24 world leadership in scientific research and discovery, is
25 actively promoting the development of biotechnology because of
26 its potentially great importance to the state's economy as
27 well as the health of its residents, and
28 WHEREAS, the Legislature desires to foster research
29 that will advance the state of medical and scientific
30 knowledge, offer enormous potential to save human lives and
31 treat debilitating, incurable diseases, and allow the State of
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Florida Senate - 2006 SB 1352
27-136A-06
1 Florida to have a significant role in the emerging biomedical
2 technology field, to the benefit of all of its residents, NOW,
3 THEREFORE,
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5 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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7 Section 1. Florida Gulf Coast University Institute for
8 Stem Cell Biology.--
9 (1) There is established the Florida Gulf Coast
10 University Institute for Stem Cell Biology under the
11 supervision of the university president or his or her
12 designee. The institute shall operate as a consortium of state
13 universities. The consortium may include, but is not limited
14 to, private universities, health care facilities, and
15 governmental entities.
16 (2) The purpose of the institute is to conduct stem
17 cell research involving adult human stem cells, umbilical cord
18 blood stem cells, or model animal stem cells that target the
19 development of platform technologies and capabilities for
20 novel therapies and diagnostics. The institute shall ensure
21 the rapid and seamless transition of basic and applied
22 research to clinical evaluation and commercialization.
23 Section 2. The sum of $32 million is appropriated from
24 the General Revenue Fund to the Florida Gulf Coast University
25 to operate the institute during the 2006-2007 fiscal year and
26 to plan, construct, and equip a facility for the institute.
27 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.
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Florida Senate - 2006 SB 1352
27-136A-06
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2 SENATE SUMMARY
3 Establishes the Florida Gulf Coast University Institute
for Stem Cell Biology. Provides the purpose of the
4 institute.
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