Bill
HB 166
Maryland establishes Henrietta Lacks Commission to investigate the historical injustices of her non-consensual cell extraction and recommend potential remedies or policy reforms.
HB 166 establishes the Henrietta Lacks Commission of Maryland, a state body dedicated to examining the historical injustices surrounding Henrietta Lacks and her family, whose cells were taken without consent in 1951 and became foundational to medical research. The commission would likely investigate the circumstances of the cell extraction, study the impact on the Lacks family, and potentially recommend remedies or policy changes.
Henrietta Lacks' case represents a significant ethical violation in medical history and raises ongoing questions about informed consent, racial justice in healthcare, and the exploitation of marginalized populations in medical research. Maryland—where Lacks received treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital—has a direct responsibility to address this historical wrong and acknowledge its institutional role in the injustice that occurred.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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