Legislative Committee 

Shan Zozula,  BS, TS(ABB)

The LegCom is currently chaired by Shane Zozula, BS, TS(ABB), and continues to use the talents of Marlane J. Angle, PhD, HCLD/CC(ABB); Dara S. Berger, PhD, HCLD/TS(ABB); Melanie Clemmer, PhD, HCLD(ABB); Barbara Timm, ELD/TS(ABB) and new addition, Kelly Hanshew, ELD/TS(ABB).  We would like to thank Stan Harris, TS/ELD(ABB), previous committee chair, and David Battaglia, PhD, HCLD/ELD(ABB), for all of their contributions to the committee.  With the assistance of previous committee members we strive to continue to keep the members of CRB informed of the many legislative developments that involve our industry.

Now that the members of the LegCom have been finalized, we will continue to track and inform our community of current developments on Personhood, licensure, Patients’ access to test reports, and other relevant topics that develop.  We would like to encourage all members to track and observe any legislation that might impact our industry as legislative concerns are vast and the committee small.

Recently, Melanie Clemmer, PhD, HCLD(ABB), led the roundtable “Naked and Afraid,” at the 2014 AAB Conference in Las Vegas.  She covered many of the legislative topics that the committee has been watching over the years. One topic of interest was the recent change in federal regulations regarding patient access to their reports was accepted in its final form to the Federal Register (45 CFR Part 164-Security and Privacy and 42 CFR Part 493-Laboratory Requirements), effective October 6, 2014.  In summary, this regulation amendment makes possible, upon patient’s request, for the laboratory (as opposed to physicians) to provide access to completed test reports that can be identified as belonging to that patient.  AAB recently hosted a webinar on this very topic and we encourage all to review this amendment and how it affects you and your practice.  A link to register for the webinar can be found here. 

The AAB College of Reproductive Biology would like to inform the membership of a recent publication to the Federal Register at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-07-21/html/2014-17033.htm  The CDC is currently working with stakeholders to review and make changes to the National ART Surveillance System (NASS), including proposed changes to data collection, web interfacing, and overall formatting of data entry pages.  This publication to the Federal Register is a routine notification required by the Fertility Clinic Success Rate and Certification Act of 1992 (FCSRCA). The CRB encourages the membership to review this document for comment.

Shane Zozula, BS, TS(ABB)
Chair, CRB LegCom