Safe Responsible Ethical Scientific Endeavors Assuring Research for Compassionate Healthcare Act or the Safe RESEARCH Act
This bill prohibits the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from conducting or supporting research on human fetal tissue obtained from an abortion procedure. It also imposes other restrictions on human fetal tissue research.
Under the bill, the NIH may conduct or support research on human fetal tissue only if it was obtained from a stillbirth. Current law allows research on tissue from stillbirths or from spontaneous or induced abortions.
The bill also applies informed consent and other requirements applicable to research on the transplantation of human fetal tissue for therapeutic purposes to all research with human fetal tissue. This includes research on stem cells and other human fetal tissue alternatives.
Additionally, human fetal tissue used for this research must be obtained in accordance with state anatomical gift laws. These laws govern organ and tissue donation for therapeutic, research, and other purposes. Some states already apply anatomical gift laws to human fetal tissue donation.
Currently, executive branch officials may not prohibit the NIH from conducting or supporting research on the transplantation of human fetal tissue for therapeutic purposes. The bill repeals this limitation on executive branch officials. It also repeals a requirement that the NIH fund certain proposals for this research.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1466 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1466
To amend the Public Health Service Act to prohibit research with human
fetal tissue obtained pursuant to an abortion, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 8, 2023
Mrs. McClain (for herself, Mr. Norman, Mr. Johnson of Louisiana, Mr.
Graves of Louisiana, Mr. Harris, Mr. Allen, Mrs. Miller of Illinois,
Mr. Grothman, Mr. Good of Virginia, Mr. C. Scott Franklin of Florida,
Mr. Biggs, Mr. Duncan, Mr. Posey, Mr. Steube, Mr. Feenstra, Mr. Joyce
of Pennsylvania, Mr. Bost, Mr. Moore of Alabama, and Mr. Gosar)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to prohibit research with human
fetal tissue obtained pursuant to an abortion, 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 ``Safe Responsible Ethical Scientific
Endeavors Assuring Research for Compassionate Healthcare Act'' or the
``Safe RESEARCH Act''.
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON RESEARCH WITH HUMAN FETAL TISSUE OBTAINED
PURSUANT TO AN ABORTION.
(a) In General.--Section 498A of the Public Health Service Act (42
U.S.C. 289g-1) is amended--
(1) in the section heading, by striking ``research on
transplantation of fetal tissue'' and inserting ``research with
fetal tissue'';
(2) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
``(a) Establishment of Program.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary may conduct or support
research with human fetal tissue, or research on modern,
efficient alternatives to human fetal tissue such as organoids,
induced pluripotent stem cells, and adult stem cells. The
Secretary shall conduct or support any such research in
accordance with this section.
``(2) Source of tissue.--Human fetal tissue may be used in
research carried out under paragraph (1) only if the tissue is
obtained pursuant to a stillbirth.'';
(3) in subsection (b)(2)--
(A) by striking subparagraph (A); and
(B) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) and (C) as
subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively;
(4) in subsection (c)(1)(B), by striking ``may have been
obtained pursuant to a spontaneous or induced abortion or
pursuant to a stillbirth'' and inserting ``has been obtained
pursuant to a stillbirth'';
(5) in subsection (e), by adding at the end the following
new paragraph:
``(3) Human fetal tissue obtained for research.--In
research carried out under subsection (a), human fetal tissue
may be used only if such tissue was obtained in accordance with
applicable State law regulating anatomical gifts.''; and
(6) by amending subsection (g) to read as follows:
``(g) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Human fetal tissue.--The term `human fetal tissue'
means tissue or cells obtained from a dead human embryo or
fetus after a stillbirth.
``(2) Stillbirth.--The term `stillbirth' means a fetal
death that occurs as a result of natural causes during a
pregnancy, including an ectopic pregnancy.''.
(b) Technical Amendment.--Paragraph (1) of section 498B(e) of the
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 289g-2(e)(1)) is amended to read
as follows:
``(1) The term `human fetal tissue' means tissue or cells
obtained from a dead human embryo or fetus after a spontaneous
or induced abortion, or after a stillbirth.''.
(c) Revision of Regulations.--Not later than one year after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human
Services shall revise such regulations as necessary, including section
46.206 of title 45, Code of Federal Regulations, to incorporate the
requirements of this section.
(d) Repeal.--Section 113 of the National Institutes of Health
Revitalization Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 289g-1 note) is hereby repealed.
<all>
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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