[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 137 (Wednesday, October 1, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H9051-H9054]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        NATIONAL BONE MARROW DONOR REGISTRY REAUTHORIZATION ACT

  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 3034) to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the 
National Bone Marrow Donor Registry, and for other purposes, as 
amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 3034

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``National Bone Marrow Donor 
     Registry Reauthorization Act''.

     SEC. 2. NATIONAL BONE MARROW DONOR REGISTRY.

       (a) National Registry.--Section 379 of the Public Health 
     Service Act (42 U.S.C. 274k) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)--
       (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``except that'' and all 
     that follows and inserting ``except that--
       ``(A) such limitations shall not apply to the Chair of the 
     board (or the Chair-elect) or to the member of the board who 
     most recently served as the Chair; and
       ``(B) 1 additional consecutive 2-year term may be served by 
     any member of the board who has no employment, governance, or 
     financial affiliation with any donor center, recruitment 
     group, transplant center, or cord blood bank.''; and
       (B) in paragraph (4)--
       (i) by striking ``the Naval Medical Research and 
     Development Command'' and inserting ``the Department of 
     Defense Marrow Donor Recruitment and Research Program 
     operated by the Department of the Navy''; and
       (ii) by striking ``Organ'' after ``Division of'';
       (2) in subsection (b)--
       (A) in paragraph (4), by inserting ``at least'' before 
     ``annually'';
       (B) in paragraph (7), by striking ``and comparisons of 
     transplant centers regarding search and other costs that 
     prior to transplantation are charged to patients by 
     transplant centers; and'';
       (C) in paragraph (8), by inserting ``and outreach'' after 
     ``and demonstration'';
       (D) at the end of paragraph (8), by striking the period and 
     inserting a semicolon;
       (E) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (8) as 
     paragraphs (4) through (9);
       (F) by inserting after paragraph (2), the following:
       ``(3) maintain and expand medical emergency contingency 
     response capabilities in concert with Federal programs for 
     response to threats of use of terrorist or military weapons 
     that can damage marrow, such as ionizing radiation or 
     chemical agents containing mustard, so that the capability of 
     supporting patients with marrow damage from disease can be 
     used to support casualties with marrow damage;''; and
       (G) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(10) conduct and support research to improve the 
     availability, efficiency, safety, and cost of transplants 
     from unrelated donors and the effectiveness of Registry 
     operations;
       ``(11) increase the number of umbilical cord blood units 
     listed in the Registry and assist cord blood banks in the 
     Registry program in accordance with subsection (c); and
       ``(12) establish bylaws and procedures--
       ``(A) to prohibit any member of the board of directors of 
     the Registry who has an employment, governance, or financial 
     affiliation with a donor center, recruitment group, 
     transplant center, or cord blood bank from participating in 
     any decision that materially affects the center, recruitment 
     group, transplant center, or cord blood bank; and
       ``(B) to limit the number of members of the board with any 
     such affiliation.'';

[[Page H9052]]

       (3) in subsection (c)--
       (A) in clause (ii) of paragraph (2)(A), by striking ``, 
     including providing updates''; and
       (B) in paragraph (3), by striking ``the availability, as a 
     potential treatment option, of receiving a transplant of bone 
     marrow from an unrelated donor'' and inserting ``transplants 
     from unrelated donors as a treatment option and resources for 
     identifying and evaluating other therapeutic alternatives'';
       (4) in subsection (d)--
       (A) in paragraph (2)(C), by inserting ``and assist with 
     information regarding third party payor matters'' after 
     ``ongoing search for a donor'';
       (B) in paragraph (2)(F)--
       (i) by redesignating clause (v) as clause (vi); and
       (ii) by inserting after clause (iv) the following:
       ``(v) Information concerning issues that patients may face 
     after a transplant regarding continuity of care and quality 
     of life.''; and
       (C) in paragraph (3)(B), by striking ``Office may'' and 
     inserting ``Office shall'';
       (5) in subsection (g), by striking ``the bone marrow donor 
     program of the Department of the Navy'' and inserting ``the 
     Department of Defense Marrow Donor Recruitment and Research 
     Program operated by the Department of the Navy'';
       (6) in subsection (h)--
       (A) by striking ``Application.--'' and inserting 
     ``Contracts.--'';
       (B) by striking ``To be eligible'' and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(1) Application.--To be eligible''; and
       (C) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(2) Considerations.--In awarding contracts under this 
     section, the Secretary shall give substantial weight to the 
     continued safety of donors and patients and other factors 
     deemed appropriate by the Secretary.'';
       (7) in subsection (i), by striking ``include'' and 
     inserting ``be''; and
       (8) by striking subsection (l).
       (b) Bone Marrow Scientific Registry.--Section 379A of the 
     Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 274l) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the following: 
     ``The scientific registry shall participate in medical 
     research that has the potential to improve transplant 
     outcomes.'';
       (2) in subsection (c), by striking ``Each such report shall 
     in addition include the data required in section 379(l) 
     (relating to pretransplant costs).''; and
       (3) by adding after subsection (c) the following:
       ``(d) Publicly Available Data.--The scientific registry 
     shall make relevant scientific information not containing 
     individually identifiable information available to the public 
     in the form of summaries and data sets to encourage medical 
     research and to provide information to transplant programs, 
     physicians, and patients.''.
       (c) Bone Marrow and Marrow Defined.--Part I of title III of 
     the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 274k et seq.) is 
     amended--
       (1) by redesignating section 379B as section 379C; and
       (2) by inserting after section 379A the following:

     ``SEC. 379B. BONE MARROW AND MARROW DEFINED.

       ``For purposes of this part, the terms `bone marrow' and 
     `marrow' include bone marrow and any other source of 
     hematopoietic progenitor cells the acquisition or use of 
     which is not inconsistent with Federal law.''.
       (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 379C of the 
     Public Health Service Act, as redesignated by subsection (c), 
     is amended to read as follows:

     ``SEC. 379C. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       ``(a) In General.--For the purpose of carrying out this 
     part, there are authorized to be appropriated $32,000,000 for 
     fiscal year 2004, and such sums as may be necessary for each 
     of the fiscal years 2005 through 2008.
       ``(b) Emergency Contingency Response Capabilities.--In 
     addition to the amounts authorized to be appropriated under 
     subsection (a), there are authorized to be appropriated such 
     sums as may be necessary for the maintenance and expansion of 
     emergency contingency response capabilities under section 
     379(b)(3).''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Upton) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton).


                             General Leave

  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on this legislation and to insert extraneous material on the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the House is considering today H.R. 
3034, the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry Reauthorization Act to 
extend Federal support for a national bone marrow registry for an 
additional 5 years.
  Bone marrow transplants are often one of the last options available 
to patients struggling to fight debilitating and often terminal 
diseases. Sadly, finding a bone marrow match is most difficult. In 
fact, every year nearly two-thirds of patients in need of a bone marrow 
transplant will not find a marrow donor match within their family and 
must rely on the help of strangers. The National Bone Marrow Donor 
Registry facilitates marrow and cord blood transplants for patients 
with life-threatening diseases who do not have matching donors in their 
families.
  In addition to the 5-year reauthorization period, H.R. 3034 amends 
the functions of the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry to reflect new 
directions that the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry is undertaking 
to improve its capabilities. Notably, the legislation directs the 
registry to maintain and expand medical response capabilities, in 
concert with Federal programs, for responding to terrorist threats that 
can damage marrow. The registry is also directed to increase the number 
of umbilical cord blood units listed in the registry and assist cord 
blood banks in the registry program. This is of special importance to 
many minority populations who are less likely to find a bone marrow 
match.
  H.R. 3034 also includes provisions to improve data collection and 
facilitate information sharing with physicians, other health care 
professionals and the public regarding transplants from unrelated 
donors.
  Each month, the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry coordinates more 
than 150 transplants. With a diverse registry of more than 4 million 
potential volunteer bone marrow and cord blood donors, the National 
Bone Marrow Donor Registry offers hope to thousands and thousands of 
patients. It is important that we reauthorize this successful program.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this piece of 
legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  The National Bone Marrow Donor Registry Reauthorization Act offers 
significant improvements to a very successful public health initiative. 
I commend the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) and the gentleman 
from New York (Mr. Towns), the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis) and 
my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus for taking lead roles 
in advancing this legislation.
  Tragically, Americans in need of lifesaving bone marrow transplants 
often face daunting odds. In fact, the chance of finding a compatible 
unrelated donor is only about one in 20,000. As the largest and most 
diverse list of potential donors, the registry is America's best chance 
to improve those odds. With a database of roughly 4 million potential 
donors, it offers hope to the thousands of Americans diagnosed every 
year with blood, metabolism or immune system disorders.
  The registry has facilitated over 14,000 transplants since 1987, but 
there is much work that needs to be done. The legislation before us 
today permits that work to continue and expand with enhanced efforts to 
educate the general public about the registry, as well as significant 
outreach to minority populations. The bill also creates important new 
authority to apply the knowledge gained in treating marrow diseases to 
the task of preparing the Nation for radiological and chemical attacks.
  I would be remiss if I did not also thank the gentleman from Florida 
(Mr. Young), who has done remarkable work on this issue for as long as 
I have been in Congress. I thank him for his participation and urge my 
colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute.
  Mr. Speaker, I would just like to say that the gentleman from Florida 
(Mr. Young) not only has a great legacy in this House for so many 
different issues, particularly as chairman of the Committee on 
Appropriations, but one of the issues that bonded our friendship early 
on was his direction and sponsorship of this issue.
  I would like to say that when I was, I think, a freshman or a 
sophomore Member in this House, because of the battle he helped lead, I 
joined with so many other Members of this body to actually register 
myself with the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry. I

[[Page H9053]]

hope someday that I will be called. Thus far, I have not, but I am one 
of those that has voluntarily registered. I would love the afternoon 
that I might get a phone call to say, ``Come on down; I want to draw a 
sample.''
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Young).
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much 
for yielding me the time, and I appreciate his management of this bill 
and also the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown).
  This is an important piece of legislation. We actually got this 
program started without an authorization bill by working it through an 
appropriations bill back in 1985. It has been an ongoing program and an 
ongoing commitment of mine for a long time.
  I appreciate also the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin), the 
chairman of the committee, and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Bilirakis), the chairman of the subcommittee, for moving this bill and 
working with us to make sure that it meets all of the new, modern 
requirements of the bone marrow program.
  I will be very brief, Mr. Speaker, and say that back in the 1980s 
when we determined that it was necessary to have a program of this 
type, those in our government who dealt with health issues said, It 
can't be done. They said, You'll never get maybe 20-, 30-, 40,000 
people willing to be a bone marrow donor and that wouldn't work because 
the chances of finding a donor are about one in 20,000 of finding a 
donor that will actually match the patient. It is critical that the 
bone marrow of the patient and the donor match.
  And so I am happy to report that although they said it could not be 
done, we have 5 million people in the registry today, and we are 
exchanging bone marrow and patients across the oceans with 14 other 
countries that have patterned bone marrow programs like ours to join 
with us.
  It is a very successful program. We are learning more about it every 
day. We are saving lives every day. As the gentleman from Michigan 
said, this is the last resort. You do not go to a bone marrow 
transplant unless your disease is terminal. This procedure can be used 
in 60 or more types of blood diseases.
  There are thousands and thousands of heroes out there who have 
actually made donations of their bone marrow to help save a life. It is 
a life-changing experience to become a bone marrow donor and know that 
you personally have saved the life of a young child or even an adult, 
and you have at least given them a second chance for life.
  I would like to include in my remarks some of the early heroes like 
Admiral Zumwalt, who was one of the real soldiers in this battle to 
make this happen.
  Again, I just thank the Congress for the tremendous support that we 
have had all the way through as we create this program, as we 
appropriate the money to keep it funded.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3034, legislation I 
have introduced to reauthorize the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry.
  At the outset, let me thank the Chairman of the Energy and Commerce 
Committee, my colleague from Louisiana Mr. Tauzin, and the Chairman of 
the Subcommittee on Health, my colleague and neighbor from Florida Mr. 
Bilirakis, for helping expedite the consideration of this legislation. 
I have worked closely with them and with their staffs throughout the 
drafting of H.R. 3034 to ensure its timely and smooth passage through 
both the House and Senate.
  Mr. Speaker, the National Marrow Donor Program is a true modern 
medical miracle that save lives here and throughout the world every 
single day of the year. Since its establishment more than 16 years ago, 
the registry has grown to more than 5,000,000 volunteers. These are 
true volunteers in every sense of the word. They have given of their 
time to take a simple blood test to be listed in the national registry. 
For more than 16,000 who have been called upon to donate bone marrow, 
they have undergone a relatively simple surgical procedure to donate 
their bone marrow to save the life of a man, woman or child with 
leukemia or one of 60 otherwise fatal blood disorders.
  Having had the great pleasure to meet with hundreds of donors and 
patients, I can tell you that donating bone marrow is a true life-
changing experience. The experience of giving life to another human 
being is beyond mere words.
  Through the National Marrow Donor Program, we have also made marrow 
donation a world-changing experience. On any given day, bone marrow 
from our registry is being flown around the world at the same time bone 
marrow is being flown to a U.S. hospital through our formal 
relationship with 14 other international registries.
  Mr. Speaker, at a time when our Nation seeks to bring the nations and 
the people of the world closer together, to live in peace, and better 
understand each other, we can look to the National Marrow Donor Program 
as one important way to achieve these goals. There is no greater cause 
then to save a life, and with the ongoing support of every member of 
this House we can adopt this legislation today to continue to work of 
this program for the next 5 years.
  There are many heroes who have contributed to the work and vision of 
this program. From the early days when we sought a home for the 
program, and had a few doors slammed in our faces, there was Admiral 
Elmo Zumwalt, Jr. and Dr. Bob Graves. There was Captain Bob Hartzman of 
the United States Navy who connected us with the Navy Medical Command 
where we appropriated the first small amount of funding to give birth 
to the program. There were the early medical pioneers such as Dr. 
Robert Good, Dr. John Hansen, Dr. Donnell Thomas, and Dr. Jerry 
Barbosa, all of whom helped perfect the science of marrow 
transplantation and who assisted us in our legislative quest to 
establish a federal registry.
  There were Members of Congress, past and present, who stood by me as 
I sought funding to start up the program, to recruit marrow donors, and 
to perfect the marrow transplant procedures. There were my colleagues 
on the Appropriations and Energy and Commerce Committees who helped 
expedite these funding requests and the consideration of several 
authorization bills.
  There were the members of the board of the National Marrow Donor 
Program and the Marrow Foundation, who have volunteered their time to 
establish a finely tuned international registry that quickly and 
efficiently matches marrow donors and patients to give them the best 
chance of a successful transplant. There is the staff of the NMDP, 
based in Minneapolis, Minnesota but with operations throughout our 
nation, who manage the flow of information and marrow around the world. 
And there is the staff and medical teams at the transplant and donor 
centers who use their medical expertise to complete the transplantation 
procedure.
  Finally, there are the true heroes of the program, the patients and 
donors. Every patient that has sought a marrow transplant has helped 
the doctors and researchers perfect the marrow transplant procedure to 
improve the outcome for every future patient. And every donor who has 
rolled up his or her sleeve to sign up for the national registry and 
ultimately give a bit of their bone marrow has given the ultimate gift 
of life. They are the heroes without whom we would not have this 
tremendously successful national and international life-saving program.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, let me again thank Chairmen Tauzin and 
Bilirakis for their ongoing support and for the support of the members 
of the Energy and Commerce Committee in moving this legislation so 
quickly. Finally, let me thank every Member of this House for their 
partnership in helping us continue the work of the National Marrow 
Donor Program. With your support, we are giving hope to thousands of 
patients here and throughout the world today and into the future.
  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, The National Bone Marrow Donor Registry, 
operated by the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), is a precious 
national resource that we must continue to support. I was happy to join 
my colleagues, Chairman Bill Young and Chairman Mike Bilirakis, in 
introducing H.R. 3034, ``The National Bond Marrow Registry 
Reauthorization Act.'' In particular, I am extremely pleased that we 
are considering this bill in an expeditious manner to ensure that there 
is no gap in the continuation of this important program. I am also 
pleased that my colleagues, Mr. Ford of Tennessee and Mr. Lewis of 
Georgia have indicated their endorsement for this legislation.
  Since its inception, the NMDP has worked tirelessly to build a 
Registry that helps Americans in need. I applaud the donors who are 
true American heroes. They are willing to help individuals who they do 
not even know by taking the time to donate their marrow, blood, or cord 
blood. We can all hope to emulate their generosity and selflessness.
  We honor these men and women, of all races and ethnicities, by 
reauthorizing the Registry. Since 1986, there have been many scientific 
advances in the area of bone marrow transplants. The NMDP continues to 
work diligently to improve the odds of every American being able to 
find a match through the Registry. Its efforts have led to an increase 
of the number of minority donors who participate in the Registry, as 
well as the number of minorities who have access to these life-saving 
transplants.
  Today, I call on my colleagues to continue their support of the NMDP 
and its important

[[Page H9054]]

mission. We should approve H.R. 3034 today so that we can ensure a 
timely reauthorization of the Bone Marrow Registry.
  Ms. McCARTHY of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of 
H.R. 3034, the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry Reauthorization Act.
  I want to commend the work of the co-sponsors of this legislation, 
the Representative of Florida, and Representative of New York. Your 
leadership on this issue has been remarkable and I commend your 
efforts.
  It is a tragedy for Americans in need of bone marrow or stem cell 
donation to remain unconnected with willing donors. The National Bone 
Marrow Donor Registry has helped connect thousands of Americans in need 
of assistance with donors across the country. The additional resources 
this bill authorizes will help us expand this network and save even 
more lives.
  I want to particularly commend the Registry's effort to recruit 
minority donors for their database. Blood diseases extract an 
especially heavy toll on minority populations, and improving the 
diversity of the donor pool should be an important part of our response 
to this problem.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the efforts of St. Luke's Hospital in 
Kansas City. Their Kansas City Blood and Marrow transplant program 
recruits new donors, finds matches, and coordinates the donation 
process. Since its inception in 1996, the Transplant Center at St. 
Lukes has performed over 450 transplants and connected thousands in our 
region with needed care. As a result of their hard work, the Center has 
been named a member of the United Resource Network centers of 
excellence program. These courageous efforts save thousands of lives 
each year. I congratulate them for being a model to our Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, this bipartisan legislation is vital. I urge my 
colleagues to join me today in support of H.R. 3034.
  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong 
support of H.R. 3034, the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry 
Reauthorization Act.
  Today we are able to prolong hope for so many individuals waiting for 
a match to their bone marrow by reauthorizing the National Bone Marrow 
Donor Registry for another five years. For many people waiting for a 
transplant due to various illnesses, the task of finding a donor is a 
long and costly process. Each year two-thirds of patients awaiting bone 
marrow transplants are unsuccessful in finding a match within their 
family. This is why the establishment of a national registry was 
crucial.
  About seventy percent of leukemia and other blood disorder patients 
do not find a match within their family. A match would be someone with 
certain white blood cells, called antigens, which are similar or 
identical to the patient's. These transplants enable patients the 
opportunity to live a full life, whereas without the transplant they 
would have little or no chance of survival.
  From the organization of a donor registry through the United States 
Navy in 1986 to this current extension of the National Registry, it is 
clear that Congress takes this issue to heart. Each member of this 
House has someone in their district who has been touched by one of the 
debilitating diseases that need a bone marrow transplant, often as a 
last option.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to thank Chairman Young for his 
leadership on the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry Reauthorization 
Act. Because of his family's own experience with the seriousness of 
bone marrow transplants, he has emerged as a leader in the issue and is 
committed to the cause. I urge all my colleagues to support this 
important reauthorization.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3034 which 
reauthorizes the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry. I commend 
Chairman Young for his leadership in this critical program. Through his 
efforts in establishing the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry he has 
given countless people another chance at life.
  Through the recruitment of the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), 
which manages the Registry, patients there are over 5 million potential 
donors. Through NMDP outreach efforts in 19 countries, patients have 
access to an additional 2.5 million potential donors. In fact, 
approximately 40 percent of transplants facilitated by NMDP involves a 
U.S. patient receiving stem cells from an international donor or an 
international donor receiving stems cells from a U.S. donor.
  The importance of the Registry cannot be overstated and I commend and 
fully support the efforts of the National Marrow Donor Program for 
their recruitment efforts, especially for their efforts to recruit 
potential donors from diverse racial or ethnic groups.
  The critical need for donors of African-American, Asian/Pacific 
Islander, Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native descent was made 
clear to me by the story of a five-year-old little girl from Guam whose 
life was cut short by leukemia.
  Her name was Justice Taitague. Her best chance for life was a marrow 
transplant from a member of her ethnic group. The donor list at the 
time could not provide a match, but everyone involved in her care would 
not give up. Through the efforts of Dr. Thomas Shieh, the Guam Medical 
Society, and the National and Hawaiian Marrow Donor Programs, the first 
ever marrow drive on Guam was held on her behalf. This ``Drive for 
Justice'' registered thirty-four hundred volunteers in just three days.
  Tragically, she passed away less than a week after the drive. But her 
life has given hope to others of Asian/Pacific Island descent needing a 
stem-cell transplant and helped us to understand the importance of the 
National Marrow Donor Program.
  Mr. Speaker, I fully support H.R. 3034 to reauthorize the National 
Marrow Donor Registry. There is still a critical need for donors from 
the Asian, Pacific Islander and other minority communities to give the 
gift of life. Join the Registry.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 3034, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________