II 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 51 

To derive human pluripotent stem cell lines using techniques that do not 

knowingly harm embryos. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 4, 2007 

Mr. ISAKSON introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

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 ‘‘Pluripotent Stem Cell 

5 Therapy Enhancement Act of 2007’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PURPOSES. 

7 It is the purpose of this Act to— 

8 (1) intensify research that may result in im9 proved understanding of or treatments for diseases 

10 and other adverse health conditions; and 


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1 (2) promote the derivation of pluripotent stem 

2 cell lines without the creation of human embryos for 

3 research purposes and discarding, destroying, or 

4 knowingly harming a human embryo. 

5 SEC. 3. HUMAN PLURIPOTENT STEM CELL RESEARCH. 

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

7 (42 U.S.C. 284 et seq.) is amended by inserting after sec8 tion 498C the following: 

9 ‘‘SEC. 409J. HUMAN PLURIPOTENT STEM CELL RESEARCH. 

10 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall conduct and 

11 support basic and applied research to develop techniques 

12 for the isolation, derivation, production, or testing of 

13 pluripotent stem cells that have the flexibility of embryonic 

14 stem cells (whether or not they have an embryonic source), 

15 and may result in improved understanding of or treat16 ments for diseases and other adverse health conditions, 

17 provided that such isolation, derivation, production, or 

18 testing will not involve— 

19 ‘‘(1) the creation of a viable human embryo or 

20 embryos for research purposes; or 

21 ‘‘(2) the destruction or discarding of a human 

22 embryo or embryos, or knowingly subjecting a 

23 human embryo or embryos to risk of injury or death 

24 greater than that allowed for research on fetuses in 


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1 utero under section 498(b) of this Act and section 

2 46.204(b) of title 45, Code of Federal Regulations. 

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

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

5 consultation with the Director, shall issue final guidelines 

6 that— 

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

8 required for additional research, which shall include 

9 a determination of the extent to which specific tech10 niques may require additional basic or animal re11 search to ensure that any research involving human 

12 cells using these techniques would clearly be con13 sistent with the standards established under sub14 section (a); 

15 ‘‘(2) prioritize research with the greatest poten16 tial for near-term clinical benefit; and 

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

18 account techniques outlined by the President’s Coun19 cil on Bioethics and any other appropriate tech20 niques and research. 

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

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

23 submit to the appropriate committees of the Congress a 

24 report describing the activities carried out under this secVerDate Aug 31 2005 23:36 Jan 09, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S51.IS S51

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1 tion during the fiscal year, including a description of the 

2 research conducted under this section. 

3 ‘‘(d) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec4 tion shall be construed as altering the policy in effect on 

5 the date of enactment of this section regarding the eligi6 bility of stem cell lines for funding by the National Insti7 tutes of Health. 

8 ‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

9 is authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be nec10 essary to carry out this section. 

11 ‘‘(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

12 ‘‘(1) HUMAN EMBRYO OR EMBRYOS.—The term 

13 ‘human embryo or embryos’ includes any organism, 

14 not protected as a human subject under part 46 of 

15 title 45, Code of Federal Regulations, as of the date 

16 of enactment of this section, that is derived by fer17 tilization, parthenogenesis, cloning, or any other 

18 means from one or more human gametes or human 

19 diploid cells. 

20 ‘‘(2) PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS.—The term 

21 ‘pluripotent stem cells’ means precursor cells that 

22 are capable both of perpetuating themselves as stem 

23 cells and of producing all or almost all the cell types 

24 of the developing body. 


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1 ‘‘(3) STEM CELL LINE.—The term ‘stem cell 

2 line’ means stem cells which have been cultured 

3 under in vitro conditions that allow proliferation 

4 without differentiation from months to years. 

5 ‘‘(4) VIABLE.—The term ‘viable’ means mate6 rial obtained from the in vitro fertilization process 

7 that is transferable into the womb.’’. 

Æ 


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