Moolenaar, Dingell Bill to Prevent TB Outbreaks Advanced by Committee

Today, Congressman John Moolenaar and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell's (D-MI) bill, H.R. 1082, the Shandra Eisenga Human Cell and Tissue Product Safety Act, was passed unanimously by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The bipartisan legislation, which first passed the House of Representatives last December, would require the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct research and education campaigns to prevent deadly outbreaks of tuberculosis (TB) from infected tissue transplants. The legislation would also impose penalties on providers of tissue material responsible for any future TB infections. 

"The tuberculosis outbreak in 2023 that tragically took the life of Shandra Eisenga should never have happened. Our bill honors Shandra's legacy by ensuring no one has to endure what she and her family went through. I am grateful for the bipartisan support of our bill, and I will continue my work to make it law to prevent future deadly TB outbreaks," said Moolenaar.

“Shandra Eisenga’s death was a preventable tragedy, and we’ve seen far too many people lose their lives due to tuberculosis infection from bone graft material," said Dingell, a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. "I am thankful this bill passed Committee on a bipartisan basis, and am thankful to the Washtenaw County Health Department and doctors at the University of Michigan who recognized this issue requires federal government action. We must do more to increase awareness of the risks of human cell and tissue product transplants and implement additional safeguards to protect patients from the dangers of these infections."

The bipartisan legislation was introduced in response to the death of Shandra Eisenga on August 10, 2023, due to a tuberculosis infection from an infected bone graft. Shandra was one of 36 patients in seven states to contract TB after receiving a bone graft from an infected donor in 2023.