If signed into law, Texas would be the fourth state behind California, Michigan and Rhode Island to ban human cloning. It is also banned in countries including England and Japan. President Clinton issued an executive order in March 1997 banning the use of federal money for human cloning after a sheep named Dolly was cloned in Scotland. Clinton also called for a halt on privately funded research but stopped short of a prohibition. Once reserved for science fiction novels, cloning technology has spurred more emotional debate as it becomes reality.
Researchers say that current cloning technology is too primitive to efficiently clone humans.
But they also say that clones are not much different than twins. Nelson's legislation would include a 2005 expiration date so that future Legislatures could revisit the law. The law also may require a distinction between a human being and a clone. The bull, named 86 Squared, was created by using the skin cells taken from a bull 15 years ago. The bull, which died in 1997, was resistant to tuberculosis, salmonellosis and brucellosis, which lessens fertility and reduces milk production in beef and dairy cattle.