[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 30 Referred in House (RFH)]
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 30
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 30, 2007
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
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:
NANCY ERICKSON,
Secretary.