(1) There is established a statewide consortium to be known as the Public Cord Blood Tissue Bank. The Public Cord Blood Tissue Bank is established as a nonprofit legal entity to collect, screen for infectious and genetic diseases, perform tissue typing, cryopreserve, and store umbilical cord blood as a resource to the public. The University of Florida, the University of South Florida, the University of Miami, and the Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville shall jointly form the collaborative consortium, each working with community resources such as regional blood banks, hospitals, and other health care providers to develop local and regional coalitions for the purposes set forth in this act. The consortium participants shall align their outreach programs and activities to all geographic areas of the state, covering the entire state. The consortium is encouraged to conduct outreach and research for Hispanics, African Americans, Native Americans, and other ethnic and racial minorities.
(2) The Agency for Health Care Administration and the Department of Health shall encourage health care providers, including, but not limited to, hospitals, birthing facilities, county health departments, physicians, midwives, and nurses, to disseminate information about the Public Cord Blood Tissue Bank.
(3) Nothing in this section creates a requirement of any health care or services program that is directly affiliated with a bona fide religious denomination that includes as an integral part of its beliefs and practices the tenet that blood transfer is contrary to the moral principles the denomination considers to be an essential part of its beliefs.
(4) Any health care facility or health care provider receiving financial remuneration for the collection of umbilical cord blood shall provide written disclosure of this information to any woman postpartum or parent of a newborn from whom the umbilical cord blood is collected prior to the harvesting of the umbilical cord blood.
(5) A woman admitted to a hospital or birthing facility for obstetrical services may be offered the opportunity to donate umbilical cord blood to the Public Cord Blood Tissue Bank. A woman may not be required to make such a donation.
(6) The consortium may charge reasonable rates and fees to recipients of cord blood tissue bank products.
