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Week Ending May 27, 2005
HR 810 to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for human embryonic stem cell research.
BRIEF
The bill would require the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct research using human embryonic stem cells. The cells develop early on in the human embryo and are valued by disease fighting scientists because they can morph into any other type of human cell including cells that would replace those destroyed by disease and injury. Among the diseases mentioned that may benefit from stem cell research are Alzheimer’s, spinal cord injuries, Parkinson’s disease and diabetes.
The President has gone on record that he will veto any bill that supports killing embryos in order to gather the stem cells. The President did not discriminate between gathering the stem cells from an in vitro embryo or from an embryo in the mother’s womb.
The bill specifies that the stem cells that can be used for research must be derived from embryos that are donated by in vitro fertilization clinics from embryos developed for the purpose of fertility treatment but were in excess of the needs of the people seeking the treatment. The donated embryos would never have been implanted in a woman and so would have been discarded and the donors would give written, informed consent and would receive no financial or other inducements to donate the embryo.
Another stem cell bill was passed this week to extract similar cells from placenta and umbilical cords. HR2520
{Note: The Senate amended and agreed to HR 2520 on December 16, 2005. That version of the bill can be read HERE}
Sponsor: Representative Michael N. Castle (R-DE-At Large)
Vote: Passed House 238 to 194 (RC 204) (May 24, 2005). Passed Senate 63 to 37 (RV 206) July 18, 2006. Vetoed by President Bush July 19, 2006. Vote to override the veto failed 235 to 193-requires two thirds to pass (RC 388)
Cost to the taxpayers: No cast figures or estimates were given. Such a directive to HHS would require it be carried out through existing National Institute of Health programs or Congress must create and fund new programs.
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MORE INFORMATION
HR 810 IH
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 810
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for human embryonic stem cell research.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Mr. CASTLE (for himself, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. BASS, Mr. DINGELL, Mr. FOLEY, Mr. WAXMAN, Mrs. BONO, Mr. STARK, Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. KIRK, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mrs. KELLY, Mr. EVANS, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. SIMMONS, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. BOEHLERT, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. SCHWARZ of Michigan, Mr. UDALL of Colorado, Mr. GIBBONS, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. GILCHREST, Ms. PELOSI, Mr. PORTER, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. RAMSTAD, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. ANDREWS, Ms. BEAN, Mr. BECERRA, Ms. BERKLEY, Mr. BERMAN, Mrs. BIGGERT, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. BISHOP of New York, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. BOSWELL, Mr. BOUCHER, Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. CARNAHAN, Ms. CARSON, Mr. CASE, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. CLAY, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. COOPER, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. DAVIS of Alabama, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. DAVIS of Florida, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Mr. DEFAZIO, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. DICKS, Mr. DOGGETT, Mr. EMANUEL, Mr. ENGEL, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. FARR, Mr. FILNER, Mr. FORD, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. GORDON, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Ms. HARMAN, Ms. HERSETH, Mr. HIGGINS, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. HONDA, Ms. HOOLEY, Mr. HOLT, Mr. HOYER, Mr. INSLEE, Mr. ISRAEL, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island, Ms. KILPATRICK of Michigan, Mr. KIND, Mr. KOLBE, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. LEACH, Ms. LEE, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California, Mrs. LOWEY, Mrs. MALONEY, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. MATHESON, Mrs. MCCARTHY, Ms. MCCOLLUM of Minnesota, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MEEHAN, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. MOORE of Kansas, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. NADLER, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts, Ms. NORTON, Mr. OLVER, Mr. OWENS, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. PASTOR, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Mr. REYES, Mr. ROSS, Mr. ROTHMAN, Mr. RUPPERSBERGER, Mr. RUSH, Mr. SABO, Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California, Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. SCHIFF, Ms. SCHWARTZ of Pennsylvania, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mr. SNYDER, Ms. SOLIS, Mr. SPRATT, Mr. STRICKLAND, Mrs. TAUSCHER, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. VISCLOSKY, Ms. WATERS, Ms. WATSON, Mr. WEINER, Mr. WEXLER, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. WU, Mr. WYNN, and Mr. DENT) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for human embryonic stem cell research.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
This Act may be cited as the `Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005'.
Part H of title IV of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 289 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 498C the following:
`(a) In General- Notwithstanding any other provision of law (including any regulation or guidance), the Secretary shall conduct and support research that utilizes human embryonic stem cells in accordance with this section (regardless of the date on which the stem cells were derived from a human embryo) .
`(b) Ethical Requirements- Human embryonic stem cells shall be eligible for use in any research conducted or supported by the Secretary if the cells meet each of the following:
`(1) The stem cells were derived from human embryos that have been donated from in vitro fertilization clinics, were created for the purposes of fertility treatment, and were in excess of the clinical need of the individuals seeking such treatment.
`(2) Prior to the consideration of embryo donation and through consultation with the individuals seeking fertility treatment, it was determined that the embryos would never be implanted in a woman and would otherwise be discarded.
`(3) The individuals seeking fertility treatment donated the embryos with written informed consent and without receiving any financial or other inducements to make the donation.
`(c) Guidelines- Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary, in consultation with the Director of NIH, shall issue final guidelines to carry out this section.
`(d) Reporting Requirements- The Secretary shall annually prepare and submit to the appropriate committees of the Congress a report describing the activities carried out under this section during the preceding fiscal year, and including a description of whether and to what extent research under subsection (a) has been conducted in accordance with this section.'.
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