TAMR Legislative Position

TAMR supports legislation that permits and regulates research in Regenerative Medicine. This includes research using adult stem cells, stem cells derived from excess in vitro fertilized eggs that would otherwise be discarded, and stem cells produced by SCNT. TAMR strongly opposes human reproductive cloning, which is unsafe and unethical.

TAMR supports the Hatch-Feinstein-Specter-Kennedy-Harkin-Miller And Reps. Greenwood-Deutsch legislation

Side-by-Side Federal Legislative Comparison

Side-by-Side Legislative Comparison:
Senator Brownback And Reps. Weldon-Stupak Vs. Senators Hatch-Feinstein-Specter-Kennedy-Harkin-Miller And Reps. Greenwood-Deutsch

SENATOR SAM BROWNBACK (S. 245-1) AND REPRESENTATIVES DAVE WELDON-BART STUPAK LEGISLATION (H.R. 234-1)

SENATORS ORRIN HATCH-DIANNE FEINSTEIN-ARLEN SPECTER- EDWARD KENNEDY-TOM HARKIN-ZELL MILLER (S. 303-2) AND REPRESENTATIVES JAMES GREENWOOD-PETER DEUTSCH (H.R. 801-2)
Impact on research:
Prohibits human reproductive cloning (cloning to create a human being). Bans somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT)* used for medical research purposes and imposes severe criminal and civil penalties on scientists for practicing this potentially lifesaving research.

Impact on research:
Prohibits human reproductive cloning (cloning to create a human being) and imposes criminal and civil penalties – up to 10 years in prison and million-dollar fines – on scientists for this practice. Permits SCNT used for medical research purposes.
Impact on scientists and patients:
Sends a scientist to jail for growing cells in a petri dish for the purpose of doing SCNT research (also known as therapeutic cloning.) Sends a patient to jail for receiving treatment that utilizes SCNT research.

Impact on scientists and patients:
Allows SCNT research, which has the potential to cure life-threatening diseases. Ensures rigorous oversight of research conducted, including review by an ethics board and protections for research participants, and imposes large financial penalties for violating these conditions.
Impact on patients’ access to lifesaving therapies:
Denies patients access to advanced therapies by mandating severe criminal penalties for scientists, patients or family members who import materials or medical treatments into the U.S. that were developed using SCNT research. Researchers in other countries will do this important work and patients in those countries will have first access to breakthrough drugs and treatments.

Impact on patients’ access to lifesaving therapies:
Maintains physician and patient access to life-saving therapies by allowing scientists to continue SCNT research without fear of reprisal. Researchers are allowed to develop important therapies here in the U.S. Prohibits the export of eggs that have undergone SCNT to any foreign country that does not ban human cloning.
Summary of Brownback and Weldon-Stupak legislation:
Outlaws a form of research that scientists believe can play a critical role in curing disease and alleviating suffering in millions of patients.

Summary of Hatch-Feinstein-Specter-Kennedy-Harkin-Miller and Greenwood-Deutsch legislation:
Permits scientific research that is endorsed by the National Academy of Sciences and is supported by a majority of the American public, 40 Nobel laureates, former first lady Nancy Reagan, and former Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter.
1-S. 245 (Brownback) introduced January 29, 2003. H.R. 234 (Weldon-Stupak) introduced January 8, 2003.
2-S. 303 (Hatch-Feinstein-Specter-Kennedy-Harkin-Miller), the Human Cloning Ban and Stem Cell Research Protection Act, introduced February 5, 2003. H.R. 801 (Greenwood-Deutsch-Eshoo-DeGette-Kirk), the Cloning Prohibition Act of 2003, introduced February 13, 2003.
*Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer Defined:
SCNT involves removing the nucleus of an unfertilized egg cell, replacing it with the material from the nucleus of a “somatic cell” (a skin, heart, or nerve cell, for example), and stimulating this cell to begin dividing. Once the cell begins dividing, stem cells can be extracted 5-6 days later and used for research.
2/25/2003