I 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6131 

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

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 22, 2016 

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. BABIN, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mrs. 

BLACK, Mr. BOUSTANY, Mr. FLEMING, Mr. FORTENBERRY, Mr. HARRIS, 

Mrs. HARTZLER, Mr. HENSARLING, Mr. HUELSKAMP, Mr. HUIZENGA of 

Michigan, Mr. LUETKEMEYER, Mr. PEARCE, Mr. PITTS, Mr. RUSSELL, 

Mrs. WAGNER, Mr. LOUDERMILK, and Mr. MULLIN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit humananimal chimeras. 

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 ‘‘Human-Animal Chi5 mera Prohibition Act of 2016’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON HUMAN-ANIMAL CHIMERAS. 

7 Part I of title 18, United States Code, is amended 

8 by inserting after chapter 51 the following: 


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1 ‘‘CHAPTER 52—HUMAN-ANIMAL CHIMERAS 

‘‘Sec. 

‘‘1131. Definitions. 

‘‘1132. Prohibition on human-animal chimeras. 

2 ‘‘§ 1131. Definitions 

3 ‘‘In this chapter the following definitions apply: 

4 ‘‘(1) HUMAN-ANIMAL CHIMERA.—The term 

5 ‘human-animal chimera’ means— 

6 ‘‘(A) a human embryo into which a 

7 nonhuman cell or cells (or the component parts 

8 thereof) have been introduced to render the em9 bryo’s membership in the species Homo sapiens 

10 uncertain; 

11 ‘‘(B) a chimera human/animal embryo pro12 duced by fertilizing a human egg with 

13 nonhuman sperm; 

14 ‘‘(C) a chimera human/animal embryo pro15 duced by fertilizing a nonhuman egg with 

16 human sperm; 

17 ‘‘(D) an embryo produced by introducing a 

18 nonhuman nucleus into a human egg; 

19 ‘‘(E) an embryo produced by introducing a 

20 human nucleus into a nonhuman egg; 

21 ‘‘(F) an embryo containing at least haploid 

22 sets of chromosomes from both a human and a 

23 nonhuman life form; 


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1 ‘‘(G) a nonhuman life form engineered 

2 such that human gametes develop within the 

3 body of a nonhuman life form; or 

4 ‘‘(H) a nonhuman life form engineered 

5 such that it contains a human brain or a brain 

6 derived wholly or predominantly from human 

7 neural tissues. 

8 ‘‘(2) HUMAN EMBRYO.—The term ‘human em9 bryo’ means an organism of the species Homo sapi10 ens during the earliest stages of development, from 

11 1 cell up to 8 weeks. 

12 ‘‘§ 1132. Prohibition on human-animal chimeras 

13 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—It shall be unlawful for any per14 son to knowingly, in or otherwise affecting interstate com15 merce— 

16 ‘‘(1) create or attempt to create a human-ani17 mal chimera; 

18 ‘‘(2) transfer or attempt to transfer a human 

19 embryo into a nonhuman womb; 

20 ‘‘(3) transfer or attempt to transfer a nonhu21 man embryo into a human womb; or 

22 ‘‘(4) transport or receive for any purpose a 

23 human-animal chimera. 

24 ‘‘(b) PENALTIES.— 


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1 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Whoever violates subsection 

2 (a) shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not 

3 more than 10 years, or both. 

4 ‘‘(2) CIVIL PENALTY.—Whoever violates sub5 section (a) and derives pecuniary gain from such vio6 lation shall be subject to a civil fine of the greater 

7 of $1,000,000 and an amount equal to the amount 

8 of the gross gain multiplied by 2. 

9 ‘‘(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—This section does 

10 not prohibit research involving the use of transgenic ani11 mal models containing human genes or xenotransplanta12 tion of human organs, tissues, or cells into recipient ani13 mals, if such activities are not prohibited under subsection 

14 (a).’’. 

15 SEC. 3. TECHNICAL AMENDMENT. 

16 The table of chapters for part I of title 18, United 

17 States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relat18 ing to chapter 51 the following: 

‘‘52. Human-animal chimeras ....................................................... 1131.’’. 

Æ 


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