Testimony of Charles Halpern, Public Interest Attorney and Member, Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences
By Charles Halpern,
Testimony to California Senate Subcommittee
| 03. 09. 2005
Oversight Hearing on the Implementation of Proposition 71, the Stem Cell Research and Cures Act
Joint Hearing of the California Senate Subcommittee on Stem Cell Research Oversight, Senate Health Committee, and Assembly Health Committee
Testimony of Charles Halpern, Public Interest
Attorney and Member, Institute of Medicine of the National Academy
of Sciences
Oversight Hearing on the Implementation of Proposition 71,
the Stem Cell Research and Cures Act
Joint Hearing of the California Senate Subcommittee on Stem
Cell Research Oversight, Senate Health Committee, and Assembly
Health Committee
March 9, 2005
SUMMARY
This Oversight Hearing is an important milestone in the California
effort to assume leadership in the field of stem cell research.
Active legislative engagement with the California Institute
for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) is essential for this initiative
to succeed.
The Independent Citizen’s Oversight Committee (ICOC) has
met four times since the passage of Proposition 71. While the
ICOC has made some important decisions, it still must lay a
solid foundation for its grants program. Grant guidelines and
an operating budget must be developed. The conflict of interest
problem, which affects all aspects of the ICOC process, must
be addressed in a serious fashion.
I encourage the Senate Oversight Subcommittee to take the following
steps:
Establish a regular schedule of oversight hearings, every two
or...
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