Respect for Life Embryonic Stem Cell Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to provide for the conduct and support of basic applied research to develop: (1) techniques for the derivation of stem cells from embryos that do not harm embryos; and (2) techniques for storing such stem cells of an animal for future therapy for that animal. Prohibits any such research that involves the derivation of stem cells from human embryos or that uses any stem cell to attempt to create a human embryo.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2574 Introduced in House (IH)]
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2574
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for a program at the
National Institutes of Health to conduct and support research on
animals to develop techniques for the derivation of stem cells from
embryos that do not harm the embryos, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 24, 2005
Mr. Bartlett of Maryland (for himself, Mr. Gingrey, Mr. Norwood, Mr.
Osborne, Mr. Culberson, Mr. English of Pennsylvania, Mr. Rohrabacher,
Mr. Price of Georgia, and Mr. Cannon) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for a program at the
National Institutes of Health to conduct and support research on
animals to develop techniques for the derivation of stem cells from
embryos that do not harm the embryos, and for other purposes.
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 ``Respect for Life Embryonic Stem Cell
Act of 2005''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds as follows:
(1) The President's Council on Bioethics in its May 2005
White Paper: ``Alternative Sources of Pluripotent Stem Cells,''
acknowledges that pluripotent stem cell lines might be derived
from an early stage human embryo without harming the embryo's
prospects for developing into a baby.
(2) Identical twinning occurs spontaneously in nature
during at least two stages of the in vivo human development
process demonstrating the viability and feasibility of the
removal of some cells from an early stage human embryo without
harming the embryo's ability to develop into a baby.
(3) The removal of some cells from living human embryos is
already occurring to conduct preimplantation genetic diagnosis
(``PGD''). PGD is a procedure increasingly offered to
individuals seeking to become parents as an option in
conjunction with assisted reproductive technologies to diagnose
their embryos created through in vitro fertilization (``IVF'')
for genetic and chromosomal abnormalities prior to implantation
and pregnancy.
(4) There have been reports that more than 1,000 babies
have been born worldwide and more than 150 babies have been
born in the United States after undergoing PGD as early stage
embryos.
(5) IVF to create and PGD to diagnose early stage human
embryos is proceeding without Federal funding.
(6) There is no Federal prohibition against using IVF to
create or PGD to diagnose early stage human embryos.
(7) Informed parental consent is obtained and granted by
individuals to utilize IVF and PGD on behalf of themselves and
to benefit their children.
(8) Cells removed for PGD from an early stage human embryo
might be cultured to produce and store a stock of cells that
could become a genetically matched repair kit for that
individual.
(9) Surplus cells from an individual's repair kit might be
used to establish an embryonic stem cell line made available
for basic and applied research to develop treatments for
debilitating and deadly human ailments.
(10) Individuals seeking to become parents who have already
chosen and committed to use PGD and establish a repair kit for
the benefit of their children could have the option to donate
surplus cells from their children's repair kit for the
establishment of a new embryonic stem cell line.
SEC. 3. DERIVATION OF STEM CELLS WITHOUT HARMING EMBRYOS; ANIMAL
RESEARCH THROUGH NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH.
Part B of title IV of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C 284)
is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 409J. BASIC AND APPLIED RESEARCH ON DERIVATION OF STEM CELLS
WITHOUT HARMING EMBRYOS.
``(a) In General.--With respect to producing stem cell lines for
research on treatments for diseases and other adverse health
conditions, the Director of NIH shall, through the appropriate national
research institutes, provide for the conduct and support of basic and
applied research--
``(1) to develop techniques for the derivation of stem
cells from embryos that do not harm the embryos; and
``(2) in the case of stem cells that are derived without
harming the embryo, to develop techniques for storing the stem
cells for the possibility that in the future a therapy may be
developed that uses the stem cells of an animal to adapt the
therapy to that particular animal.
``(b) Prohibitions Regarding Clinical Research.--Research under
subsection (a) may not include clinical research, and may not include
any research that--
``(1) involves the derivation of stem cells from human
embryos; or
``(2) uses any stem cell to create or to attempt to create
a human embryo.
``(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying
out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 in
the aggregate for the fiscal years 2006 through 2010.''.
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Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
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