ISLET Act

Key Points

• This bill changes how the government classifies islet cells taken from a donor's pancreas. Currently, these cells are often treated like drugs, but this law would officially label them as human organs.
• People with Type 1 diabetes may need these cell transplants to help their bodies produce insulin again. Reclassifying them as organs is intended to make it easier and faster for hospitals to perform these life saving procedures.
• By moving these cells into the organ category, they would no longer have to follow strict rules meant for factory made medicines. Instead, they would be handled under the same systems used for heart or kidney transplants.
• The Department of Health and Human Services would have one year to update all federal regulations to match this new definition. They would also have to give a progress report to Congress within six months of the bill becoming law.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.