SECOND REGULAR SESSION

HOUSE BILL NO. 1790

91ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES REID, HOLT, PHILLIPS, DAVIS, LUETKENHAUS, HUNTER,

MERIDETH, REINHART, GEORGE, GAMBARO, GASKILL, HENDRICKSON, ENZ, HARTZLER,

TREADWAY, QUINN, COOPER, KELLEY (47), MURPHY, BEARDEN, LIESE, SHOEMYER (9),

MAYER, PORTWOOD, RECTOR, O'CONNOR, WAGNER, LINTON, RICHARDSON, SECREST,

NAEGER, GRIESHEIMER, NORDWALD, SCOTT, LEGAN, BLAND, WRIGHT,

SHOEMAKER (8) (Co-sponsors), ROBIRDS, SELBY, WILSON (42), LOWE, DEMPSEY, BOWMAN,

PURGASON, CROWELL, HOPPE, SCHWAB, HAMPTON, ROSS, FROELKER AND KING.

Read 1st time February 5, 2002, and 1000 copies ordered printed.

TED WEDEL, Chief Clerk

3481L.02I

AN ACT

To amend chapter 565, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to the crime of unlawful genetic engineering of humans, with penalty provisions.



Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:

Section A. Chapter 565, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be known as section 565.314, to read as follows:

565.314. 1. A person or entity commits the crime of unlawful genetic engineering of humans if such person or entity:

(1) Adds genes or other genetic material from any nonhuman species to a human preembryo or human embryo;

(2) Adds genes or other genetic material from another nonhuman species to a human sperm or human ovum which is used to create a human preembryo or human embryo;

(3) Uses an ovum from a nonhuman species to create a human preembryo or human embryo;

(4) Adds or deletes human genes or other human genetic material to a human preembryo or human embryo except as a therapy, cure, or prevention of a specific debility or disease; or

(5) Adds or deletes human genes or other human genetic material to human sperm or human ovum which is used to create a human preembryo or human embryo, except as a therapy, cure, or prevention of a specific debility or disease.

2. For purposes of this section, the following terms mean:

(1) "Human preembryo", a human zygote up to and including fourteen days of age that is produced by the union of two gametes or the transfer or inclusion of genetic material from a human donor to a human ovum, including all human zygotes of such age created through human cloning procedures;

(2) "Human embryo", a human zygote from fifteen days through twelve weeks of age that is produced by the union of two gametes or the transfer or inclusion of genetic material from a human donor to a human ovum, including all human zygotes of such age created through human cloning procedures.



For purposes of this section, the age of the human preembryo or human embryo shall not be calculated to include any time spent in frozen stasis.

3. Any person who knowingly violates this section is guilty of a class B felony. Any second or subsequent violation of this section is a class A felony.


Missouri House of Representatives