Senate Bills - 108th Congress

S. 518—Pancreatic Islet Cell Transplantation Act of 2003

On March 5, 2003, Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced S. 518, the Pancreatic Islet Cell Transplantation Act of 2003. The bill would establish an interagency committee on islet cell transplantation to study how to increase the supply of pancreatic islet cells for research, provide better coordination of Federal efforts and information on islet cell transplantation, and collect the data necessary to move islet cell transplantation from an experimental procedure to a standard therapy. S. 518 also provides for a demonstration project to assess the efficacy of pancreatic islet cell transplantation for Medicare beneficiaries with type 1 diabetes with end-stage renal disease. The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. The House companion measure, H.R. 1068, was introduced on March 4, 2003, by Representative George Nethercutt (R-WA) and was referred to the House Committees on Energy and Commerce and on Ways and Means.

Legislative Update (December 2003): Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (Pancreatic Islet Cell)