What's happening
This bill continues the Empire State Stem Cell Board and its funding with no set end date.
Why it matters
Ensures continued funding for stem cell research statewide. By removing the previous expiration date, this bill guarantees ongoing state support for stem cell research, which affects universities, biotech companies, hospitals, and research institutions throughout New York.
Maintains oversight and ethical standards. The Empire State Stem Cell Board, which includes an ethics committee, will continue to oversee research grants and ethical compliance, impacting how research is conducted and ensuring public trust in scientific advancements.
Sustains New York’s leadership in biomedical innovation. With no set end date, this legislation allows New York to remain competitive in attracting top scientific talent, federal grants, and private investment, potentially leading to medical breakthroughs and economic growth in the life sciences sector.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Medical Researchers & Academic Institutions
Care deeply because the continuation of the Empire State Stem Cell Board ensures ongoing funding for stem cell research, which supports scientific discovery, innovation, and research jobs.
Patients & Patient Advocacy Groups
Particularly those affected by diseases that could benefit from stem cell research (such as Parkinson’s, diabetes, spinal cord injuries), who hope for new treatments and cures enabled by continued research funding.
Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical Industry
Companies in this space benefit from grants, partnerships, and the commercialization potential stemming from state-supported stem cell research.
Bioethics & Public Health Advocates
Care about the ethical oversight and regulatory framework provided by the Empire State Stem Cell Board, ensuring that scientific progress is balanced with ethical considerations and public accountability.
Headline styles
Continue Stem Cell Board
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 42
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to health
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
10454
IN SENATE
May 15, 2026
Introduced by Sen. SKOUFIS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law and part H of chapter 58 of the laws of 2007 amending the public health law, the public officers law and the state finance law relating to establishing the empire state stem cell board, in relation to the continuation of the empire state stem cell board
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 265-a of the public health law, as amended by section 1 of part M of chapter 57 of the laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows:
1. The empire state stem cell board ("board"), comprised of a funding committee and an ethics committee, both of which shall be chaired by the commissioner, is hereby created within the department for the purpose of administering the empire state stem cell trust fund ("fund"), created pursuant to section ninety-nine-p of the state finance law. The board is hereby empowered, subject to annual appropriations and other funding authorized or made available, to make grants to basic, applied, translational or other research and development activities that will advance scientific discoveries in fields related to stem cell biology[; provided, however, that the board shall not make any grants on or after April first, two thousand twenty-one].
§ 2. Section 4 of part H of chapter 58 of the laws of 2007 amending the public health law, the public officers law and the state finance law relating to establishing the empire state stem cell board, as amended by section 2 of part M of chapter 57 of the laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows:
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately and shall be deemed to have been in full force and effect on and after April 1, 2007 [and shall expire and be deemed repealed December 31, 2025].
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall be deemed to have been in full force and effect on and after December 30, 2025. Notwithstanding the provisions of article 5 of the general construction
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00987-02-6
law, the provisions of paragraph (u) of subdivision 1 of section 17 of the public officers law, section 99-p of the state finance law and the provisions of title 5-A of article 2 of the public health law, as amended by section one of this act, are hereby revived and shall continue in full force and effect as such provisions existed on December 30, 2025.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law and part H of chapter 58 of the laws of 2007 amending the public health law, the public officers law and the state finance law relating to establishing the empire state stem cell board, in relation to the continuation of the empire state stem cell board
Purpose
This bill would preserve the existence of NYSTEM and restore its grant- making power subject to appropriations in future State budgets.
Summary of provisions
Section 1: Amends subdivision 1 of section 265-a of the Public Health Law to repeal language adopted in the FY 2021-2022 State Budget that limits the Empire State Stem Cell Board from making any grants on or after April 1, 2021.
Section 2: Amends section 4 of Part H of Chapter 58 of the Laws of 2007 amending the Public Health Law, the Public Officers Law and the State Finance Law relating to establishing the Empire State Stem Cell Board to repeal language adopted in the FY 2021-2022 State Budget that end the Empire State Stem Cell Board effective December 31, 2027.
Section 3: Sets effective date.
Justification
Since 2007, the NYSTEM program has funded cutting-edge stem cell research and positioned New York State as a global leader in regenera- tive medicine research. Since its creation, NYSTEM has attracted more than $160 million in additional grant funding, over $250 million in venture capital investment and supported more than 750 jobs across the state.
Ending the NYSTEM program will damage the State's reputation as a leader in scientific research and cut off an important pipeline for ground- breaking research, attracting world-class scientists, and generating innovation.
Legislative history
Senate:
2021: S6623A, Referred to Health
2022: S6623A, Referred to Health
2023: S554, Referred to Health
2024: S554, Referred to Health
2025: S1318, Referred to Health
Assembly:
2021: A7984, Referred to Health
2022: A7984, Referred to Health
2023: A3433, Referred to Health
2024: A3433, Refereed to Health
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately and shall be deemed to have been in full force and effect on and after December 30, 2025. Notwithstand- ing the provisions of article 5 of the general construction law, the provisions of paragraph (u) of subdivision 1 of section 17 of the public officers law, section 99-p of the state finance law and the provisions of title 5-A of article 2 of the public health law, as 05/15/26 3 00987-02-6 amended by section one of this act, are hereby revived and shall continue in full force and effect as such provisions existed on December 30,2025.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.