Para reasignar al Departamento de Salud la cantidad de ochocientos mil (800,000) dólares provenientes de asignaciones previas al Departamento de Salud para establecer el Banco Público de Sangre de Cordón Umbilical de Puerto Rico, en el Centro Comprensivo de Cáncer en colaboración y consulta con el Recinto de Ciencias Médicas en la Resolución Conjunta 60-2016 y en las Resoluciones Conjuntas del Presupuesto del Gobierno del Fondo General desde el Año Fiscal 2017-2018 al 2022-2023 certificado por la Junta de Supervisión y Administración Financiera; para la renovación de la nevera de cadáveres, la renovación de la sala de embalsamado, el establecimiento del laboratorio de plastinación para preservación de especímenes disectados, compra de equipo, establecimiento de laboratorios y otros gastos de funcionamiento de la Junta de Disposición de Cuerpos, Órganos y Tejidos Humanos mejor conocida como la Junta de Donaciones Anatómicas de Puerto Rico adscrita al Recinto de Ciencias Médicas de la Universidad de Puerto Rico.

2025-2028 Session

Puerto Rico reallocates $800,000 to establish a public umbilical cord blood bank and upgrade anatomical donations facilities for medical research and education infrastructure.

Referido a Comisión(es)

Legislative bill overview

Bill RCC 48 reallocates $800,000 from previous Health Department appropriations to fund two separate medical infrastructure projects in Puerto Rico: establishing a Public Umbilical Cord Blood Bank at the Comprehensive Cancer Center (in collaboration with the Medical Sciences Campus) and renovating/upgrading facilities for the Anatomical Donations Board (cadaver refrigeration, embalming room, plastination laboratory, and equipment).

Why is this important

This bill addresses critical gaps in Puerto Rico's medical infrastructure and research capabilities. Cord blood banking supports regenerative medicine and cancer treatment research, while the anatomical donations board upgrades enable proper specimen preservation for medical education and advance body donation programs—both essential for training healthcare professionals and advancing medical science on the island.

Potential points of contention

Funding source ambiguity: The bill reallocates from "previous Health Department allocations" without clearly identifying which existing programs lose funding or how their services will be maintained

Dual-purpose allocation clarity: Splitting $800,000 between two distinct projects (cord blood bank and anatomical board) raises questions about whether both initiatives receive adequate funding to be operational

Oversight and accountability: The bill references multiple prior resolutions (RJ 60-2016 and budget resolutions 2017-2023) without explicit performance metrics or reporting requirements for fund usage

Collaboration frameworks: The cord blood bank project mentions "collaboration and consultation" with Medical Sciences Campus but lacks defined governance structures or cost-sharing arrangements