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History
- Referred to health
- Referred to health
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Creates the human cloning prohibition act
In Assembly Committee · Health · Sponsor Michael J. Fitzpatrick
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to creating the human cloning prohibition act
Purpose
To prohibit the use of cloning technology to initiate the development of new human beings at the embryonic stage of life for any purpose, therapeutic or reproductive.
Summary of provisions
Amends the public health law by adding a new article 32-B to ensure the foregoing.
Existing law
Current law is silent on human cloning.
Justification
On November 25, 2001, a biotechnology firm in Worcester, Massachusetts known as Advanced Cell Technology, announced that it had cloned human embryos. The company's CEO, Mr. Michael West, insisted that the company did not intend to implant cloned embryos and grow them into babies; they sought only to create a new source for stem cells for research which can potentially aid in the cure of disease. Other scientists and groups however, have announced that they will try to produce live-born children by human cloning. These developments have renewed the government's interest in the issue.
Human cloning creates a new living organism that is genetically identical to a previously existing human organism. It violates human dignity and medical ethics to either allow experimentation on these human organisms or to implant these human organisms for pregnancy and subsequent live birth. This legislation would prohibit human cloning for both scientific research purposes and for reproductive purposes.
Human cloning technology represents an alarming assault on the dignity and value of human life. Human cloning reduces human life to a manufactured product that can be created and discarded at will. Cloning is the ultimate dehumanizing of human reproduction. New human lives are made in the laboratory, tailored to preset specifications to be mere carriers of genetic traits that others find useful.
This bill in no way stifles legitimate scientific research that could lead to the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of human disease and disorders. It does not alter the legal status of gene therapy, the cloning of plants and animals, the cloning of human organs for transplantation, or adult stem cell research. Such morally appropriate technology can be developed to generate human cells that may be needed to treat certain illnesses (Alzheimer's Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Cancer, Parkinson's Disease, etc.) -- without creating and killing human embryos.
Legislative history
S.206 of 2003-04 S.2400 of 2005-06 (Meier) S.2032 of 2007-08 - Referred to Health
Fiscal implications
None.
Local fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.