4-11-07, Bill Passed Senate 70-28
Referred to House
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 30
AN ACT
To intensify research to derive human pluripotent stem cell lines.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Hope Offered through Principled and Ethical
Stem Cell Research Act' or the `HOPE Act'.
SEC. 2. PURPOSES.
It is the purpose of this Act to--
(1) intensify research that may result in improved understanding of or
treatments for diseases and other adverse health conditions; and
(2) promote the derivation of pluripotent stem cell lines without the
creation of human embryos for research purposes and without the destruction
or discarding of, or risk of injury to, a human embryo or embryos other
than those that are naturally dead.
SEC. 3. HUMAN PLURIPOTENT STEM CELL RESEARCH.
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:
`SEC. 498D. HUMAN PLURIPOTENT STEM CELL RESEARCH.
`(a) In General- The Secretary shall conduct and support basic and applied
research to develop techniques for the isolation, derivation, production,
or testing of stem cells, including pluripotent stem cells that have the
flexibility of embryonic stem cells (whether or not they have an embryonic
source), that may result in improved understanding of or treatments for
diseases and other adverse health conditions, provided that the isolation,
derivation, production, or testing of such cells will not involve--
`(1) the creation of a human embryo or embryos for research purposes;
or
`(2) the destruction or discarding of, or risk of injury to, a human embryo
or embryos other than those that are naturally dead.
`(b) Guidelines- Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment
of this section, the Secretary, after consultation with the Director of
NIH, shall issue final guidelines that--
`(1) provide guidance concerning the next steps required for additional
research, which shall include a determination of the extent to which specific
techniques may require additional animal research to ensure that any research
involving human cells using these techniques would clearly be consistent
with the standards established under subsection (a);
`(2) prioritize research with the greatest potential for near-term clinical
benefit;
`(3) consistent with standards established under subsection (a), take
into account techniques outlined by the President's Council on Bioethics
and any other appropriate techniques and research; and
`(4) in the case of research involving stem cells from a naturally dead
embryo, require assurances from grant applicants that no alteration of
the timing, methods, or procedures used to create, maintain, or intervene
in the development of a human embryo was made solely for the purpose of
deriving the stem cells.
`(c) Reporting Requirements- Not later than January 1 of each year, the
Secretary shall prepare and submit to the appropriate committees of the
Congress a report describing the activities carried out under this section
during the fiscal year, including a description of the research conducted
under this section.
`(d) Rule of Construction- Nothing in this section shall be construed as
altering the policy in effect on the date of enactment of this section regarding
the eligibility of stem cell lines for funding by the National Institutes
of Health.
`(e) Authorization of Appropriations- There is authorized to be appropriated
such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.
`(f) Definitions- In this section:
`(1) NATURALLY DEAD- The term `naturally dead' means having naturally
and irreversibly lost the capacity for integrated cellular division, growth,
and differentiation that is characteristic of an organism, even if some
cells of the former organism may be alive in a disorganized state.
`(2) HUMAN EMBRYO OR EMBRYOS- The term `human embryo or embryos' includes
any organism, not protected as a human subject under part 46 of title
45, Code of Federal Regulations, as of the date of enactment of this section,
that is derived by fertilization, parthenogenesis, cloning, or any other
means from one or more human gametes or human diploid cells.
`(3) RISK OF INJURY- The term `risk of injury' means subjecting a human
embryo or embryos to risk of injury or death greater than that allowed
for research on fetuses in utero under section 46.204(b) of title 45,
Code of Federal Regulations, and section 498(b) of this Act.'.
SEC. 4. NATIONAL AMNIOTIC AND PLACENTAL STEM CELL BANK.
(a) In General- The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall enter into
a contract with the Institute of Medicine for the conduct of a study to
recommend an optimal structure for an amniotic and placental stem cell bank
program and to address pertinent issues to maximize the potential of such
technology, including collection, storage, standards setting, information
sharing, distribution, reimbursement, research, and outcome measures. In
conducting such study, the Institute should receive input from relevant
experts including the existing operators of federal tissue bank programs
and the biomedical research programs within the Department of Defense.
(b) Report- Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Institute of Medicine shall complete the study under subsection
(a) and submit to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the appropriate
committees of Congress a report on the results of such study.
Passed the Senate April 11, 2007.
Attest:
Secretary.
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 30
AN ACT
To intensify research to derive human pluripotent stem cell lines.
END
