California Code, Health and Safety Code - HSC § 125119

(a)(1) All research projects involving the derivation or use of human embryonic stem cells shall be reviewed and approved by a stem cell research oversight committee prior to being undertaken. Any stem cell research oversight committee shall, in its review of human embryonic stem cell research projects, consider and apply the guidelines developed by the department pursuant to Section 125118.A stem cell research oversight committee may require modifications to the plan or design of a proposed human embryonic stem cell research project as a condition of approving the research project.

(2) A stem cell research oversight committee for purposes of this article shall be established substantially in accordance with Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research issued by the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies in 2005. This committee shall be established in accordance with standards issued by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) as authorized by Article XXXV of the California Constitution. The intent of the Legislature is to avoid inconsistencies for stem cell research oversight committees established pursuant to this article with other existing standards for research conducted in California.