[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1435 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1435

    To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit human-animal 
                                hybrids.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              July 9, 2009

 Mr. Brownback (for himself, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Bunning, Mr. Burr, Mr. 
Chambliss, Mr. Coburn, Mr. Corker, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Ensign, Mr. Graham, 
Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Johanns, Mr. Kyl, Mr. Martinez, Mr. McCain, Mr. Risch, 
   Mr. Thune, Mr. Vitter, Mr. Voinovich, Mr. Wicker, and Mr. DeMint) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit human-animal 
                                hybrids.

    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-Animal Hybrid Prohibition Act 
of 2009''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) advances in research and technology have made possible 
        the creation of human-animal hybrids;
            (2) human-animal hybrids are grossly unethical because they 
        blur the line between human and animal, male and female, parent 
        and child, and one individual and another individual;
            (3) human dignity and the integrity of the human species 
        are compromised by human-animal hybrids;
            (4) the uniqueness of individual human beings is manifested 
        in a particular way through their brain and their reproductive 
        organs/cells; and
            (5) with an increase in emerging zoonotic infection 
        threatening the global public health, human-animal hybrids 
        present a particularly optimal means of genetic transfers that 
        could increase the efficiency or virulence of diseases 
        threatening both humans and animals.

SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON HUMAN-ANIMAL HYBRIDS.

    Part I of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting 
after chapter 51 the following:

                   ``CHAPTER 52--HUMAN-ANIMAL HYBRIDS

``Sec.
``1131. Definitions.
``1132. Prohibition on human-animal hybrids.
``Sec. 1131. Definitions
    ``In this chapter the following definitions apply:
            ``(1) Human-animal hybrid.--The term `human-animal hybrid' 
        means--
                    ``(A) a human embryo into which a non-human cell or 
                cells (or the component parts thereof) have been 
                introduced to render the embryo's membership in the 
                species Homo sapiens uncertain;
                    ``(B) a hybrid human/animal embryo produced by 
                fertilizing a human egg with non-human sperm;
                    ``(C) a hybrid human/animal embryo produced by 
                fertilizing a non-human egg with human sperm;
                    ``(D) an embryo produced by introducing a non-human 
                nucleus into a human egg;
                    ``(E) an embryo produced by introducing a human 
                nucleus into a non-human egg;
                    ``(F) an embryo containing at least haploid sets of 
                chromosomes from both a human and a non-human life 
                form;
                    ``(G) a non-human life form engineered such that 
                human gametes develop within the body of a non-human 
                life form; or
                    ``(H) a non-human life form engineered such that it 
                contains a human brain or a brain derived wholly or 
                predominantly from human neural tissues.
            ``(2) Human embryo.--The term `human embryo' means an 
        organism of the species Homo sapiens during the earliest stages 
        of development, from 1 cell up to 8 weeks.
``Sec. 1132. Prohibition on human-animal hybrids
    ``(a) In General.--It shall be unlawful for any person to 
knowingly, in or otherwise affecting interstate commerce--
            ``(1) create or attempt to create a human-animal hybrid;
            ``(2) transfer or attempt to transfer a human embryo into a 
        non-human womb;
            ``(3) transfer or attempt to transfer a non-human embryo 
        into a human womb; or
            ``(4) transport or receive for any purpose a human-animal 
        hybrid.
    ``(b) Penalties.--
            ``(1) In general.--Whoever violates subsection (a) shall be 
        fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 10 years, or 
        both.
            ``(2) Civil penalty.--Whoever violates subsection (a) and 
        derives pecuniary gain from such violation shall be subject to 
        a civil fine of the greater of $1,000,000 and an amount equal 
        to the amount of the gross gain multiplied by 2.''.

SEC. 4. TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.

    The table of chapters for part I of title 18, United States Code, 
is amended by inserting after the item relating to chapter 51 the 
following:

``52. Human-animal hybrids..................................    1131''.
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