Harkin, Brownback Introduce Cloning Proposals
February 1, 2002 - Two more bills have been introduced into the ongoing Senate debate
on the issue of human reproductive cloning. Senators Tom Harkin (D-Iowa),
Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), Harry Reid (D-Nev.), and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.)
Jan. 24 introduced the "Human Cloning and Stem Cell Research Protection
Act of 2001" (S.
1893). Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) reintroduced his "Human
Cloning Prohibition Act of 2001" (S.
1899) on Jan. 28.
The Harkin bill prohibits human cloning, defined as "asexual human
reproduction by implanting or attempting to implant the product of nuclear
transplantation into a woman's uterus or a substitute for a woman's
uterus." Shipping, receiving or importing the product of nuclear
transplantation for the purpose of human cloning is also prohibited.
Violators would be subject to fines or imprisonment or both and civil
penalties of not less than $1 million. For cases involving a financial
gain greater than $1 million, civil penalties cannot exceed more than
twice the amount of the gain. The Harkin bill also includes a provision
to protect research, including "somatic cell nuclear transfer or
other cloning technologies to clones molecules, DNA, cells, and tissues."
The intent of the Harkin bill is similar to S.1758,
which was introduced on Dec. 3, 2001, by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)
and six other Democrats.
The Brownback bill, which is similar in purpose to the one he introduced
last April and to H.R.
2505, which the House passed on July 31, 2001, defines human cloning
as "human asexual reproduction, accomplished 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 organism (at any stage of development) that is genetically
virtually identical to an existing or previously existing human organism."
The bill also prohibits shipping or receiving "for any purpose
an embryo produced human cloning or any product derived from such embryo,"
a provision some fear would limit the transfer to the United States
of therapies developed overseas.
Penalties under the Brownback bill are similar to those in the Harkin
bill. S.1899's research protection provision is more limited, covering
"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." The Brownback bill
also calls for a General Accounting Office study of new developments
in technology "for 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 somatic cell nuclear transfer…."
The Senate is expected to consider the issue of human cloning by mid-March.
Information: Dave Moore, Senior Associate Vice President
AAMC Government Relations
dbmoore@aamc.org
(202) 828-0525
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