THE STATE OF MAINE in the United States has no specific laws regarding stem cell research, though the state has a long history in progressive biomédical research dating back to the founding of Jackson Laboratory on Mt. Desert Island in 1929. The state has made a commitment to monetary investment in research and development for their modest biomedicine industry to support innovation while creating jobs and improving the economy.

In March 2007 a bill (LD 1402 An Act to Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue to Enhance Funding for Stem Cell Research in Maine) was introduced into the Maine legislature. The bill would have directed bond revenue to fund stem cell research and establish an umbilical cord bank in the state. Along with the bill, the ...