I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 234
To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit human cloning. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 8, 2003
Mr. WELDON of Florida (for himself, Mr. STUPAK, Mr. SENSENBRENNER, Mr. 
KUCINICH, Mr. SMITH of Texas, Mr. DOYLE, Mr. CHABOT, Mr. SAND-
ERS, Mr. CANNON, Mr. HALL, Mr. KELLER, Mr. FLAKE, Ms. HART, Mr. 
DELAY, Mrs. MYRICK, Mr. BACHUS, Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi, Mr. 
LUCAS of Kentucky, Mr. MURTHA, Mr. BLUNT, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. 
ORTIZ, Mr. MOLLOHAN, Mr. FLETCHER, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. NORWOOD, 
Mr. PITTS, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. STEARNS, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. 
VITTER, Mr. GOODE, Mr. WOLF, Mr. STENHOLM, Mr. BRADY of Texas, 
Mr. JOHN, Mr. SOUDER, Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota, Mr. HOEKSTRA, 
Mr. KILDEE, Mr. ADERHOLT, Mr. SKELTON, Mr. WICKER, Mr. 
COSTELLO, Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky, Mr. TURNER of Texas, Mr. SAM 
JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. MCNULTY, Mr. EHLERS, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. LI-
PINSKI, Mr. SHUSTER, Mr. GOODLATTE, Mr. PICKERING, Mr. BURTON 
of Indiana, Mr. HUNTER, Mr. CANTOR, Mr. NETHERCUTT, Mr. GUT-
KNECHT, Mr. HAYWORTH, Mr. MILLER of Florida, Mr. MCCRERY, Mr. 
RYUN of Kansas, Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia, Mr. WILSON of South 
Carolina, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mr. LINDER, Mr. MICA, Mr. SHADEGG, Mr. 
TERRY, Mr. COLLINS, Mrs. MUSGRAVE, Mr. KENNEDY of Minnesota, Mr. 
PENCE, Mr. ROGERS of Michigan, Mr. TIBERI, Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin, 
Mr. FORBES, Mr. KING of Iowa, Mr. EVERETT, Mr. AKIN, Mr. OSBORNE, 
Mr. TANCREDO, Mr. JONES of North Carolina, Mr. CAMP, Mr. DUNCAN, 
Mr. CRENSHAW, Mr. PETERSON of Pennsylvania, Mr. KING of New York, 
Mr. WAMP, Mr. FOSSELLA, Mr. COMBEST, Mr. HAYES, Mr. TIAHRT, Mr. 
BURNS, Mr. HOSTETTLER, Mrs. EMERSON, Mr. ISSA, Mr. MANZULLO, 
Mr. CRANE, Mr. FEENEY, Mr. BUYER, and Mr. FERGUSON) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, 
and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period 
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned
A BILL 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit human 
cloning.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Human Cloning Prohi-
bition Act of 2003’’. 
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON HUMAN CLONING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after chapter 15, the following: 
‘‘CHAPTER 16—HUMAN CLONING
‘‘Sec. 
‘‘301. Definitions. 
‘‘302. Prohibition on human cloning.
‘‘§ 301. Definitions 
‘‘In this chapter: 
‘‘(1) HUMAN
CLONING.—The term ‘human 
cloning’ means human asexual reproduction, accom-
plished by introducing nuclear material from one or 
more human somatic cells into a fertilized or 
unfertilized oocyte whose nuclear material has been 
removed or inactivated so as to produce a living or-
ganism (at any stage of development) that is geneti-
cally virtually identical to an existing or previously 
existing human organism.
‘‘(2) ASEXUAL
REPRODUCTION.—The term 
‘asexual reproduction’ means reproduction not initi-
ated by the union of oocyte and sperm. 
‘‘(3) SOMATIC CELL.—The term ‘somatic cell’ 
means a diploid cell (having a complete set of chro-
mosomes) obtained or derived from a living or de-
ceased human body at any stage of development. 
‘‘§ 302. Prohibition on human cloning 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—It shall be unlawful for any per-
son or entity, public or private, in or affecting interstate 
commerce, knowingly—
‘‘(1) to perform or attempt to perform human 
cloning; 
‘‘(2) to participate in an attempt to perform 
human cloning; or 
‘‘(3) to ship or receive for any purpose an em-
bryo produced by human cloning. 
‘‘(b) IMPORTATION.—It shall be unlawful for any per-
son or entity, public or private, knowingly to import for 
any purpose an embryo produced by human cloning. 
‘‘(c) PENALTIES.—
‘‘(1) CRIMINAL PENALTY.—Any person or enti-
ty that violates this section shall be fined under this 
title or imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both.
‘‘(2) CIVIL
PENALTY.—Any person or entity 
that violates any provision of this section shall be 
subject to, in the case of a violation that involves the 
derivation of a pecuniary gain, a civil penalty of not 
less than $1,000,000 and not more than an amount 
equal to the amount of the gross gain multiplied by 
2, if that amount is greater than $1,000,000. 
‘‘(d) SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.—Nothing in this sec-
tion restricts areas of scientific research not specifically 
prohibited by this section, including research in the use 
of nuclear transfer or other cloning techniques to produce 
molecules, DNA, cells other than human embryos, tissues, 
organs, plants, or animals other than humans.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of chapters 
for part I of title 18, United States Code, is amended by 
inserting after the item relating to chapter 15 the fol-
lowing:
‘‘16. Human Cloning ..........................................................................
301’’.
SEC. 3. STUDY BY GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The General Accounting Office 
shall conduct a study to assess the need (if any) for 
amendment of the prohibition on human cloning, as de-
fined in section 301 of title 18, United States Code, as 
added by this Act, which study should include—
(1) a discussion of new developments in medical 
technology concerning human cloning and somatic
cell nuclear transfer, the need (if any) for somatic 
cell nuclear transfer to produce medical advances, 
current public attitudes and prevailing ethical views 
concerning the use of somatic cell nuclear transfer, 
and potential legal implications of research in so-
matic cell nuclear transfer; and 
(2) a review of any technological developments 
that may require that technical changes be made to 
section 2 of this Act. 
(b) REPORT.—The General Accounting Office shall 
transmit to the Congress, within 4 years after the date 
of enactment of this Act, a report containing the findings 
and conclusions of its study, together with recommenda-
tions for any legislation or administrative actions which 
it considers appropriate.
Æ