I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 586 

To provide that human life shall be deemed to begin with fertilization. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 17, 2017 

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia (for himself, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. CARTER of Georgia, Mr. COLLINS of Georgia, Mr. CRAWFORD, Mr. DUNCAN of South 

Carolina, Mr. FARENTHOLD, Mr. FERGUSON, Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, 

Mr. GRAVES of Georgia, Mr. GROTHMAN, Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio, Mr. 

LATTA, Mr. LONG, Mr. LOUDERMILK, Mr. OLSON, Mr. ROE of Tennessee, Mr. RUSSELL, Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. WILSON of 

South Carolina, and Mr. WOODALL) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To provide that human life shall be deemed to begin with 

fertilization. 

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 ‘‘Sanctity of Human 

5 Life Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DECLARATION. 

7 In the exercise of the powers of the Congress, includ8 ing Congress’ power under article I, section 8 of the ConVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:18 Jan 23, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H586.IH H586

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1 stitution, to make necessary and proper laws, and Con2 gress’ power under section 5 of the 14th article of amend3 ment to the Constitution of the United States— 

4 (1) the Congress declares that— 

5 (A) the right to life guaranteed by the 

6 Constitution is vested in each human being, and 

7 is the paramount and most fundamental right 

8 of a person; and 

9 (B) the life of each human being begins 

10 with fertilization, cloning, or its functional 

11 equivalent, irrespective of sex, health, function 

12 or disability, defect, stage of biological develop13 ment, or condition of dependency, at which time 

14 every human being shall have all the legal and 

15 constitutional attributes and privileges of 

16 personhood; and 

17 (2) the Congress affirms that the Congress, 

18 each State, the District of Columbia, and all United 

19 States territories have the authority to protect the 

20 lives of all human beings residing in its respective 

21 jurisdictions. 

22 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

23 For purposes of this Act: 

24 (1) FERTILIZATION.—The term ‘‘fertilization’’ 

25 means the process of a human spermatozoan peneVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:18 Jan 23, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H586.IH H586

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1 trating the cell membrane of a human oocyte to cre2 ate a human zygote, a one-celled human embryo, 

3 which is a new unique human being. 

4 (2) CLONING.—The term ‘‘cloning’’ means the 

5 process called somatic cell nuclear transfer, that 

6 combines an enucleated egg and the nucleus of a so7 matic cell to make a human embryo. 

8 (3) HUMAN; HUMAN BEING.—The terms 

9 ‘‘human’’ and ‘‘human being’’ include each and 

10 every member of the species homo sapiens at all 

11 stages of life, beginning with the earliest stage of de12 velopment, created by the process of fertilization, 

13 cloning, or its functional equivalent. 

Æ 


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