109TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 2754

AN ACT

To derive human pluripotent stem cell lines using techniques

that do not knowingly harm embryos.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Alternative Pluripotent

5 Stem Cell Therapies Enhancement Act’’.
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S 2754 ES

1 SEC. 2. PURPOSES.

2 It is the purpose of this Act to—

3 (1) intensify research that may result in im4 proved understanding of or treatments for diseases

5 and other adverse health conditions; and

6 (2) promote the derivation of pluripotent stem

7 cell lines, including from postnatal sources, without

8 creating human embryos for research purposes or

9 discarding, destroying, or knowingly harming a

10 human embryo or fetus.

11 SEC. 3. ALTERNATIVE HUMAN PLURIPOTENT STEM CELL

12 RESEARCH.

13 Part B of title IV of the Public Health Service Act

14 (42 U.S.C. 284 et seq.) is amended by inserting after sec15 tion 498C the following:

16 ‘‘SEC. 409J. ALTERNATIVE HUMAN PLURIPOTENT STEM

17 CELL RESEARCH.

18 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—In accordance with section 492,

19 the Secretary shall conduct and support basic and applied

20 research to develop techniques for the isolation, derivation,

21 production, or testing of stem cells that, like embryonic

22 stem cells, are capable of producing all or almost all of

23 the cell types of the developing body and may result in

24 improved understanding of or treatments for diseases and

25 other adverse health conditions, but are not derived from

26 a human embryo.
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S 2754 ES

1 ‘‘(b) GUIDELINES.—Not later than 90 days after the

2 date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary, after

3 consultation with the Director, shall issue final guidelines

4 to implement subsection (a), that—

5 ‘‘(1) provide guidance concerning the next steps

6 required for additional research, which shall include

7 a determination of the extent to which specific tech8 niques may require additional basic or animal re9 search to ensure that any research involving human

10 cells using these techniques would clearly be con11 sistent with the standards established under this sec12 tion;

13 ‘‘(2) prioritize research with the greatest poten14 tial for near-term clinical benefit; and

15 ‘‘(3) consistent with subsection (a), take into

16 account techniques outlined by the President’s Coun17 cil on Bioethics and any other appropriate tech18 niques and research.

19 ‘‘(c) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.—Not later than

20 January 1 of each year, the Secretary shall prepare and

21 submit to the appropriate committees of the Congress a

22 report describing the activities carried out under this sec23 tion during the fiscal year, including a description of the

24 research conducted under this section.
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S 2754 ES

1 ‘‘(d) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec2 tion shall be construed to affect any policy, guideline, or

3 regulation regarding embryonic stem cell research, human

4 cloning by somatic cell nuclear transfer, or any other re5 search not specifically authorized by this section.

6 ‘‘(e) DEFINITION.—

7 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In this section, the term

8 ‘human embryo’ shall have the meaning given such

9 term in the applicable appropriations Act.

10 ‘‘(2) APPLICABLE ACT.—For purposes of para11 graph (1), the term ‘applicable appropriations Act’

12 means, with respect to the fiscal year in which re13 search is to be conducted or supported under this

14 section, the Act making appropriations for the De15 partment of Health and Human Services for such

16 fiscal year, except that if the Act for such fiscal year

17 does not contain the term referred to in paragraph

18 (1), the Act for the previous fiscal year shall be

19 deemed to be the applicable appropriations Act.

20 ‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There

21 is authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be nec-
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S 2754 ES

1 essary for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2009, to carry

2 out this section.’’.

Passed the Senate July 18, 2006.

Attest:

Secretary.
109TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 2754

AN ACT

techniques that do not knowingly harm embryos.

To derive human pluripotent stem cell lines using