Scientific and Medical Accountability Standards Working Group

(a) Membership

The Scientific and Medical Accountability Standards Working Group shall have 19 members as follows:

(1) Five ICOC members from the 10 groups that focus on disease-specific areas described in paragraphs (3), (4), and (5) of subdivision (a) of Section 125290.20.

(2) Nine scientists and clinicians nationally recognized in the field of pluripotent and progenitor cell research.

(3) Four medical ethicists.

(4) The Chairperson of the ICOC.

(b) Functions

The Scientific and Medical Accountability Standards Working Group shall have the following functions:

(1) To recommend to the ICOC scientific, medical, and ethical standards.

(2) To recommend to the ICOC standards for all medical, socioeconomic, and financial aspects of clinical trials and therapy delivery to patients, including, among others, standards for safe and ethical procedures for obtaining materials and cells for research and clinical efforts for the appropriate treatment of human subjects in medical research consistent with paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 125290.35, and to ensure compliance with patient privacy laws.

(3) To recommend to the ICOC modification of the standards described in paragraphs (1) and (2) as needed.

(4) To make recommendations to the ICOC on the oversight of funded research to ensure compliance with the standards described in paragraphs (1) and (2).

(5) To advise the ICOC, the Scientific and Medical Research Funding Working Group, and the Scientific and Medical Research Facilities Working Group, on an ongoing basis, on relevant ethical and regulatory issues.

(Added November 2, 2004, by initiative Proposition 71, Sec. 5.)