[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1608 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1608

 To amend title 18 of the United States Code to prohibit human cloning.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 26, 2001

  Mr. Ehlers introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 18 of the United States Code to prohibit human cloning.

    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 ``Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 
2001''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Genetic science, including cloning technology and stem 
        cell research, holds great promise for medical breakthroughs, 
        including cures and treatments for diseases.
            (2) Scientists should be encouraged to use cloning 
        technologies with plants and animals in order to discover 
        agricultural benefits for mankind.
            (3) Scientists should continue to pursue research that uses 
        cloning technologies to clone tissues, molecules, cells, and 
        DNA.
            (4) However, while the possibilities of scientific 
        experimentation normally are beneficial and limitless, there 
        are times when society--through the governmental process--can 
        and should place limits on scientific experimentation. Such is 
        the case with human cloning.
            (5) Human cloning raises serious moral, ethical, societal, 
        and safety concerns that necessitate a legislative ban.

SEC. 3. HUMAN CLONING PROHIBITED.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 89 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 1822. Human cloning
    ``(a) In General.--Whoever, in or affecting interstate or foreign 
commerce, knowingly replaces the nucleus of an oocyte with the nucleus 
of a human somatic cell shall be fined under this title or imprisoned 
not more than 2 years, or both.
    ``(b) Exception.--Subsection (a) shall not apply if, prior to 
replacement of the nucleus of the oocyte, the nucleus of the human 
somatic cell has been modified so that the cell cannot develop to 
completion.
    ``(c) Definitions.--In this section--
            ``(1) the term `somatic cell' means any cell other than a 
        sperm or oocyte; and
            ``(2) the term `oocyte' means an egg cell.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 89 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new item:

``Sec. 1822. Human cloning''.
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