BILL NO. 96
(as introduced)
2nd Session, 61st General Assembly
Nova Scotia
59 Elizabeth II, 2010
Multiple Sclerosis Patient Support Act
Diana Whalen
Halifax Clayton Park
First Reading: November 16, 2010
Second Reading:
Third Reading:
An Act to Establish Clinical Trials
Respecting Multiple Sclerosis Liberation Therapy
and Observation of Multiple Sclerosis Patients
in Receipt of Liberation Therapy
Be it enacted by the Governor and Assembly as follows:
1 This Act may be cited as the Multiple Sclerosis Patient Support Act.
(a) "Advisory Panel" means the advisory panel established pursuant to this Act;
(b) "Foundation" means the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation;
(c) "Fund" means the Multiple Sclerosis Liberation Therapy Fund established by this Act;
(d) "liberation therapy" means the therapy pioneered by Dr Paolo Zamboni of Ferrara, Italy, for the treatment of chronic cerebro-spinal venous insufficiency in persons with multiple sclerosis;
(e) "Minister" means the Minister of Health;
(f) "Peer-review Panel" means the peer-review panel established pursuant to this Act.
3 On or before December 15, 2010, the Health Research Foundation, through direction from the Minister of Health shall establish an Advisory Panel composed of
(a) experts from the Province and from other jurisdictions to advise on the liberation therapy, including clinical specialists in neurology and vascular surgery and research experts; and
4 The Advisory Panel shall advise the Foundation on
(a) the criteria for a call for research proposals on clinical trials in the Province of the liberation therapy; and
(b) the selection of a research proposal to be funded pursuant to this Act.
5 On or before January 15, 2011, the Foundation shall issue a call for proposals for clinical trials of the liberation therapy.
6 The Foundation shall establish an expert Peer-review Panel to select a proposal for clinical trials of the liberation therapy.
7 Subject to Section 10, the clinical trials of the liberation therapy must begin by April 30, 2011.
8 Subject to Section 10, the Minister shall establish a Multiple Sclerosis Liberation Therapy Fund with the necessary financial resources to complete clinical trials of the liberation therapy and observe and track patients who have travelled outside Canada for the liberation therapy.
9 The Foundation shall use the Fund to
(a) pay the remuneration and expenses of the Advisory Panel and the Peer-review Panel;
(b) pay the cost of the clinical trials of the liberation therapy;
(c) pay to the Dalhousie Multiple Sclerosis Research Unit the cost of observing and tracking the progress of multiple sclerosis patients who have travelled outside Canada for the liberation therapy.
10 The moneys required for the purpose of this Act must be paid out of moneys appropriated for that purpose by the Legislature.
This page and its contents published by the Office of the Legislative Counsel, Nova Scotia House of Assembly, and © 2010 Crown in right of Nova Scotia. Created November 16, 2010. Send comments to legc.office@novascotia.ca.
