II

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 2015

To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for research with respect

to human embryonic stem cells.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JANUARY 31, 2000

Mr. SPECTER (for himself and Mr. HARKIN) introduced the following bill;

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

A BILL

To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for

research with respect to human embryonic stem cells.

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 ‘‘Stem Cell Research

5 Act of 2000’’.

6 SEC. 2. RESEARCH ON HUMAN EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS.

7 Part G of the Title IV of the Public Health Service

8 Act (42 U.S.C. 288 et seq.) is amended by inserting after

9 section 498B the following:
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1 ‘‘SEC. 498C. RESEARCH ON HUMAN EMBRYONIC STEM

2 CELLS.

3 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other pro4 vision of law, the Secretary may only conduct, support,

5 or fund research on, or utilizing, human embryos for the

6 purpose of generating embryonic stem cells in accordance

7 with this section.

8 ‘‘(b) SOURCES OF EMBRYONIC CELLS.—For pur9 poses of carrying out research under paragraph (1), the

10 human embryonic stem cells involved shall be derived only

11 from embryos that otherwise would be discarded that have

12 been donated from in-vitro fertilization clinics with the

13 written informed consent of the progenitors.

14 ‘‘(c) RESTRICTIONS.—

15 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The following restriction

16 shall apply with respect to human embryonic stem

17 cell research conducted or supported under sub18 section (a):

19 ‘‘(A) The research involved shall not result

20 in the creation of human embryos.

21 ‘‘(B) The research involved shall not result

22 in the reproductive cloning of a human being.

23 ‘‘(2) PROHIBITION.—

24 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—It shall be unlawful

25 for any person receiving Federal funds to know26 ingly acquire, receive, or otherwise transfer any
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1 human gametes or human embryos for valuable

2 consideration if the acquisition, receipt, or

3 transfer affects interstate commerce.

4 ‘‘(B) DEFINITION.—In subparagraph (A),

5 the term ‘valuable consideration’ does not in6 clude reasonable payments associated with

7 transportation, transplantation, processing,

8 preservation, quality control, or storage.

9 ‘‘(d) GUIDELINES.—

10 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in conjunc11 tion with the Director of the National Institutes of

12 Health, shall issue guidelines governing human em13 bryonic stem cell research under this section, includ14 ing the definitions and terms used for purposes of

15 such research.

16 ‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The guidelines issued

17 under paragraph (1) shall ensure that—

18 ‘‘(A) all Federal research protocols and

19 consent forms involving human embryonic stem

20 cell research must be reviewed and approved by

21 an institutional review board; and

22 ‘‘(B) the institutional review board is em23 powered to make a determination as to whether

24 or not the proposed research is in accordance

25 with National Institutes of Health Guidelines
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1 for Research Involving Human Pluripotent

2 Stem Cells.

3 ‘‘(e) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS..—Not later than

4 January 1, 2001, and each January 1 thereafter, the Sec5 retary shall prepare and submit to the appropriate com6 mittees of Congress a report describing the activities car7 ried out under this section during the preceding fiscal

8 year, and including a description of whether and to what

9 extent research under subsection (a) has been conducted

10 in accordance with this section.’’.

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