What you need to know about Senate File 48, Wyoming’s proposed Stem Cell Freedom Act

• Senate File 48 (SF 48), the Stem Cell Freedom Act, proposes to grant Wyoming physicians the legal authority to perform regenerative therapies using a patient's own (autologous) stem cells.
• The legislation prioritizes patient safety by proposing required oversight from Institutional Review Boards (IRB) and requiring that cells are handled in cGMP-compliant manufacturing facilities.
• Following in the footsteps of Florida’s 2025 legislation, Wyoming’s bill aims to provide a domestic "fast-track" for treatments, helping reduce the need for patients to seek potentially unregulated care abroad.

The regenerative medicine landscape in the United States is continuing to shift. Most recently, the Wyoming Senator Eric Barlow introduced Senate File 48 (SF0048), known as the Stem Cell Freedom Act, during the 2026 Budget Session. The proposed legislation aims to empower physicians and patients by introducing a framework for stem cell therapies in the state of Wyoming.

The core of Senate File 48 is the proposed authorization for physicians to recommend and perform stem cell therapies using a patient's own (autologous) mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Unlike controversial embryonic research, this bill specifically focuses on an adult patient's own biological material.

While the bill proposes expanded access to therapies on their way to FDA approval, it does not bypass safety. To qualify under the proposed legislation, treatments would need to meet several criteria:

• Institutional Oversight: Therapies must be conducted under the oversight of an Institutional Review Board (IRB).
• Manufacturing Standards: All mesenchymal stem cells must be handled in compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) to ensure quality and safety.
• Informed Consent: Patients must be fully informed that the therapy is not FDA-approved and understand the potential risks, benefits, and financial responsibilities.
• Physician-Patient Relationship: The law protects the integrity of the medical relationship by preventing state boards from taking disciplinary action against board-certified doctors who provide these treatments according to established medical standards.

Wyoming is neither the first nor alone in this movement toward expanded access to MSC therapies in the United States. This legislation closely mirrors recent steps taken by Florida’s SB-1768, which enacted similar legislation effective July 1, 2025.

By following Florida's lead, Wyoming is helping to build a "fast-track" for stem cell therapies that allows Americans to receive treatment at home instead of traveling to international clinics. Both Florida and Wyoming emphasize a "Right to Try" approach, prioritizing patient autonomy and the use of the safest possible material: A patient’s own younger, stored stem cells.

For healthcare providers, Senate File 48 offers a clear framework to explore integrating regenerative therapies into practice, provided they adhere to the bill’s safety criteria.

For patients, particularly those with banked adult stem cells, this legislation represents a potential path to use their stored biological assets for procedures that could help improve healthspan and lifespan, without the logistical and financial burdens of international travel.

SF 48 continues to be proposed legislation that has not passed. The Forever Labs team will be monitoring SF 48’s progress closely as the 2026 Budget Session continues.