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2006 LAWS OF MARYLAND
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Ch. 19
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BY adding to
Article—Health—General
Section 20 1101 through 20 1112, inclusive, to be under the new subtitle
"Subtitle 11. Stem Cell Research"
Annotated Code of Maryland
(2005 Replacement Volume and 2005 Supplement)
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments,
Article 83A - Business and Economic Development
Section l-101(a), (b), and (d)
Annotated Code of Maryland
(2003 Replacement Volume and 2005 Supplement)
BY adding to
Article 83A - Business and Economic Development
Section 5-2B-01 through 5-2B-13, inclusive, to be under the new subtitle
"Subtitle 2B. Maryland Stem Cell Research Program"
Annotated Code of Maryland
(2003 Replacement Volume and 2005 Supplement)
Preamble
WHEREAS, An estimated 128,000,000 Americans suffer from the crippling
physical, economic, and psychological burdens of chronic, degenerative, and acute
diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, diabetes, Parkinson's disease,
spinal cord injuries, macular degeneration, ALS, multiple sclerosis, and cancer; and
WHEREAS, The costs of treatment and lost productivity of chronic,
degenerative, and acute diseases in the United States constitute hundreds of billions
of dollars every year, and estimates of the economic costs of these diseases do not
account for the extreme human loss and suffering associated with these conditions;
and
WHEREAS, Stem cell research offers immense promise for developing new
medical therapies and a better understanding of these debilitating diseases and could
lead to unprecedented treatments and potential cures for Alzheimer's disease, heart
disease, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, cancer, and other diseases; and
WHEREAS, Approximately half of Maryland's families have a family member
who has or will suffer from a serious, often critical or terminal, medical condition that
could potentially be treated or cured with medical therapies derived from stem cell
research; and
WHEREAS, Maryland's current health care system may not be able to meet the
needs of these individuals in the future unless medical care can focus on early
diagnosis, cure, and prevention rather than palliation of late—stage effects of the
disease; and
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