Opinion ID: 472591
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: State Interest in Prohibiting Experimentation

Text: 26 A state may exercise its police powers to ensure public health, safety and welfare. Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co., Inc. v. Cottrell, 424 U.S. 366, 371, 96 S.Ct. 923, 928, 47 L.Ed.2d 55 (1976). The regulation of medical experimentation is a proper exercise of this authority. A state's authority in this context is admittedly broad. Id. The exercise of these police powers, however, must be rationally related to important state interests. See England v. Louisiana State Bd. of Med. Examiners, 263 F.2d 661, 667 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 359 U.S. 1012, 79 S.Ct. 1149, 3 L.Ed.2d 1036 (1959); Louisiana State Bd. of Embalmers v. Britton, 154 So.2d 389, 390, 244 La. 756 (1963). Section 40:1299.35.13 fails to bear such a rational relationship to an important state interest. 27 Although Louisiana seeks to prohibit experimentation on tissue obtained from induced abortions it imposes no comparable restrictions on experimentation on human tissue. Indeed, Louisiana law specifically provides for the use of human corpses for the purposes of research. La.R.S.A. Sec. 17:2353. The evidence presented at trial failed to establish that tissue derived from an induced abortion presents a greater threat to public health or other public concerns than the tissue of human corpses. Further, no rational justification is shown for prohibiting experimentation on fetal tissue from a lawful induced abortion as opposed to a spontaneous abortion. There was no showing that Sec. 1299.35.13 in prohibiting experimentation on fetal tissue only in the instance of lawful induced abortions has any rational relationship to any legitimate state interest. The record is lacking in showing valid state policy in any of these distinctions. I can only conclude that under the guise of police regulation the state has actually undertaken to discourage constitutionally privileged induced abortions. Thornburgh v. American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, --- U.S. ----, ----, 106 S.Ct. 2169, 2178, 90 L.Ed.2d 779 (1986). I would affirm the judgment of the district court on this ground.