FIRST REGULAR SESSION

HOUSE BILL NO. 947

91ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES REID, SECREST, LUETKENHAUS, HOLT, SELBY, PHILLIPS,

ENZ, BARTELSMEYER (Co-sponsors), NORDWALD, TREADWAY, CIERPIOT, JETTON, KELLY (36),

VILLA, DEMPSEY, O'CONNOR, ST. ONGE, BOATRIGHT, KELLEY (47), RICHARDSON, LEGAN,

LONG, SCOTT, FROELKER, BARNETT, DOLAN, WRIGHT, MAYER, CUNNINGHAM, GAMBARO,

REYNOLDS, MOORE, GASKILL, HENDERSON, LUETKEMEYER, HENDRICKSON, KELLY (144),

GRIESHEIMER, MILLER, HARTZLER, RECTOR, PORTWOOD, PURGASON, MYERS, HUNTER,

LINTON, O'TOOLE, HICKEY, WAGNER, CROWELL, MURPHY, KENNEDY, BEHNEN, NAEGER,

GEORGE, BURTON, COOPER, BEARDEN, CRAWFORD, KING, ROBIRDS, REINHART, ROARK,

MAY (149), BALLARD, LEVIN AND BARRY.

Read 1st time March 8, 2001, and 1000 copies ordered printed.

TED WEDEL, Chief Clerk

2204L.01I

AN ACT

To amend chapter 565, RSMo, by adding thereto two new sections relating to human embryos and cloning, with penalty provisions.



Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:

Section A. Chapter 565, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto two new sections, to be known as sections 565.308 and 565.310, to read as follows:

565.308. 1. No person shall knowingly conduct nontherapeutic research that destroys a human embryo or subjects a human embryo to substantial risk of injury or death. No person shall sell or transfer a human embryo with the knowledge that the embryo will be subjected to nontherapeutic research.

2. No person shall use for research purposes cells or tissues that the person knows were obtained by performing the activities in subsection 1 of this section.

3. Any person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.

4. For purposes of this section, the following terms mean:

(1) "Human embryo", a living organism of the species homo sapiens at the earliest stages of development (including the single-celled stage) that is not located in a woman's body;

(2) "Nontherapeutic research", research that is not intended to help preserve the life and health of the particular embryo subjected to risk. Nontherapeutic research does not include in vitro fertilization and accompanying embryo transfer to a woman's body or any diagnostic test which may assist in the future care of a child subjected to such tests.

565.310. 1. No person shall intentionally engage in or attempt to engage in human cloning. Nothing in this section shall be construed as prohibiting scientific research or cell-based therapies not specifically prohibited by this section.

2. Any person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than ten years and a fine of not more than ten million dollars.

3. As used in this section, the following terms mean:

(1) "Human cloning", the use of human somatic cell nuclear transfer technology to produce a human embryo;

(2) "Human embryo", a human egg cell with a full genetic composition capable of differentiating and maturing as a complete human being;

(3) "Human somatic cell", a cell of a developing or fully developed human being that is not and will not become a sperm or egg cell;

(4) "Human somatic cell nuclear transfer", transferring the nucleus of a human somatic cell into an egg cell from which the nucleus has been removed or rendered inert.


Missouri House of Representatives