Alabama legislator introduces bill to make human cloning illegal

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) — A new bill has been introduced in the Alabama Legislature that would classify human cloning as a felony.

HB380, introduced by Rep. Phillip Rigsby, R-Huntsville, classifies human cloning as a human asexual reproduction accomplished by any of the following:

• Introducing the genetic material from one of more human somatic cells into an egg whose nuclear material has been removed in order to produce a living organism that is virtually identical to an existing human organism.
• Artificially subdividing a human embryo to result in more than one human organism.
• Introducing pluripotent stem cells from any source into a human embryo under conditions where the introduced cells generate all or most of the body tissues of the developing organism.
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• Genetically modifying human skin cells or organisms into a viable egg or sperm with genetic material from the same source as the egg or sperm used in reproduction to create an embryo.

The bill states that a person will commit the crime of human cloning if they intentionally perform or participate in an attempt to perform human cloning, if they ship, transfer or receive an embryo produced by human cloning or if they ship, transfer or receive any oocyte, embryo, fetus or human somatic cell for the purpose of human cloning.

However, human cloning would not be restricted in the areas of scientific research that focus on the use of cloning techniques to molecules, DNA or cells other than embryos, tissues, organs, plants or animals other than humans. It would also not apply to in vitro fertilization (IVF) or the administration of fertility-related drugs or any procedures used to assist a woman with pregnancy, as long as the procedure doesn’t aim to result in the birth of a child who is genetically identical to another embryo, fetus or human being.

If passed, the bill would go into effect on Oct. 1 and treat its defined concept of human cloning as a class C felony.

The full bill can be read here: