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- CAP, blood community block state push for directed blood mandates
The CAP, the Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies, the blood bank community, and state pathology societies have joined forces this year to oppose a wave of state bills mandating directed and autologous blood donations.
The big picture: Nine states considered legislation requiring hospitals and blood banks to provide directed or autologous donations.
- Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Utah were among those considering the measures.
- Most proposals failed; Idaho was the only state to enact legislation, passing House Bill 528.
- Many of the bills included exceptions for emergencies or cases where directed or autologous blood could harm patients.
What we're saying: The CAP urged Idaho Governor Brad Little to veto HB 528 in a detailed veto request letter.
“Legislative proposals like House Bill 528, mandating access to autologous or direct blood donations, threaten to reduce blood availability, increase costs, introduce waste, and delay life-saving care—particularly for products like platelets, where timely availability is vital,” wrote CAP President Qihui "Jim" Zhai, MD, FCAP.
The impact: The CAP’s new policy position, adopted in July 2025, aligns pathologists with the blood banking community in opposing these mandates and protecting the community blood supply.
- The CAP emphasized that the community blood supply must remain the primary focus of donor collection.
- Less than 0.04% of transfusions each year involve autologous or directed blood.
- A mandated shift could overwhelm blood centers and jeopardize timely patient care.
Next steps: The CAP will continue working with national and state partners to oppose mandated autologous and directed blood donation legislation and to safeguard continued access to safe, timely transfusion care for all patients.