The National Bioethics Advisory Commission: bridging the tension between scientific and public policy analysis

During the period between the early 1980s to the mid 1990s, the U.S. was distinguished from most other developed countries by its lack of a national-level public body to assist the government in its policy-making on topics of biomedical ethics. While Canada, Denmark, France, Spain, and other countries regularly sought advice from public commissions on issues ranging from reproductive technologies to euthanasia, the U.S. relied on myriad state commissions, court decisions, and academic bodies. The result was a pattern of policy-making that was slower and more unpredictable than that of its peers. With the 1996 appointment of the National Bioethics Advisory Commission (NBAC) by President Clinton, there has been a change in the process of U.S. public policy development. This article provides an overview of the NBAC and highlights recent areas of focus and related recommendations.