March 12, 2025
Mrs. Hyde-Smith (for herself, Mr. Risch, Mr. Lankford, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Hawley, Mr. Mullin, Mr. Daines, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Lee, and Mr. Cramer) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
To prohibit the Federal Government from conducting, funding, approving, or otherwise supporting any research involving human fetal tissue that is obtained pursuant to an induced abortion, and to prohibit the solicitation or knowing acquisition, receipt, or acceptance of a donation of such tissue.
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 Protecting Life and Integrity in Research Act of 2025
.
Sec. 2. No research involving human fetal tissue obtained pursuant to an induced abortion
(a) In general
(1) In general
No Federal department, agency, or office may conduct, fund, approve, or otherwise support any research involving human fetal tissue that is obtained pursuant to an induced abortion.
(2) Development of new, ethical cell lines
Subsection (a) does not limit the authority of the head of any Federal department, agency, or office, to develop or support the development of new, high-efficiency cell lines, including for the production of vaccines and genetic vectors, so long as the cell lines are not derived from human fetal tissue that is obtained pursuant to an induced abortion.
(3) Research involving human fetal tissue obtained after a miscarriage or stillbirth permitted
Any research of any Federal department, agency, or office on human fetal tissue obtained after a miscarriage or stillbirth shall be conducted or supported in accordance with section 498A of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 289g–1).
(4) Definition
In this subsection, the term human fetal tissue has the meaning given such term in section 498A(g) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 289g–1(g)).
(b) Amendments to the PHSA limiting human fetal tissue research to tissue obtained after a miscarriage or stillbirth
Section 498A of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 289g–1) is amended—
(1)
in the section heading, by striking transplantation of fetal tissue
and inserting human fetal tissue obtained after a miscarriage or stillbirth
;
(2)
by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
(a) Establishment of program
The Secretary may conduct or support research on human fetal tissue obtained after a miscarriage or a stillbirth.;
(3)
in subsection (b)—
(A)
in paragraph (1)(B), by inserting if the human fetal tissue is intended for transplantation,
before the donation
; and
(B)
in paragraph (2)—
(i)
by striking subparagraph (A); and
(ii)
by redesignating subparagraphs (B) and (C) as subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively;
(4)
in subsection (c)(1)(B), by striking pursuant to a spontaneous or induced abortion or pursuant to
and inserting after a miscarriage or
; and
(5)
by amending subsection (g) to read as follows:
(g) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Human fetal tissue
The term human fetal tissue means tissue or cells obtained from a dead unborn child pursuant to an induced abortion, a miscarriage, or a stillbirth.
(2) Miscarriage
The term miscarriage means the involuntary death of an unborn child who was carried in the womb for a period of less than 20 weeks.
(3) Stillbirth
The term stillbirth means the involuntary death of an unborn child who was carried in the womb for a period of 20 weeks or more.
(4) Unborn child
-The term unborn child has the meaning given such term in section 1841(d) of title 18, United States Code.
(c) Conforming repeal
Section 113 of the National Institutes of Health Revitalization Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 289g–1 note) is repealed.
Sec. 3. Prohibition against solicitation or knowing acquisition, receipt, or acceptance of a donation of human fetal tissue knowing that the tissue was obtained pursuant to an induced abortion
(a) In general
Paragraph (1) of section 498B(c) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 289g–2(c)) is amended to read as follows:
(1)
solicit or knowingly acquire, receive, or accept a donation (excluding any transfer for purposes of autopsy or burial) of human fetal tissue knowing that—
(A)
a human pregnancy was deliberately initiated to provide such tissue; or
(B)
the tissue was obtained pursuant to an induced abortion; or
(b) Conforming changes
Section 498B of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 289g–2) is amended—
(1)
by striking subsection (b);
(2)
by redesignating subsections (c) through (e) as subsections (b) through (d), respectively; and
(3)
in subsection (c), as redesignated—
(A)
in paragraph (1), by striking (a), (b), or (c)
and inserting (a) or (b)
; and
(B)
in paragraph (2), by striking or (b)(3)
.