Bill Text: MS HB1221 | 2011 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Human-animal hybrids; prohibit creation of.

Sponsorship: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 5-1)

Status: (Failed) 2011-02-01 - Died In Committee [HB1221 Detail]

Download: Mississippi-2011-HB1221-Introduced.html

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MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2011 Regular Session

To: Public Health and Human Services; Judiciary A

By: Representatives Gunn, Bell, Chism, Frierson, Gipson, Parker

House Bill 1221

AN ACT TO PROHIBIT THE CREATION OF HUMAN-ANIMAL HYBRIDS; TO PROVIDE PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS; TO DEFINE CERTAIN TERMS; TO PROVIDE EXCEPTIONS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

     SECTION 1.  (1)  It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly:

          (a)  Create or attempt to create a human-animal hybrid;

          (b)  Transfer or attempt to transfer a human embryo into a nonhuman womb; or

          (c)  Transfer or attempt to transfer a nonhuman embryo into a human womb.

     (2)  Whoever violates this section shall be imprisoned for not more than ten (10) years, or fined not more than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00), or both.

     (3)  Whoever violates this section and derives pecuniary gain from the violation shall be subject to a civil fine of One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) or an amount equal to the amount of the gross gain multiplied by two (2).

     (4)  As used in this section, the following words and phrases shall have the following meaning:

          (a)  "Human-animal hybrid" means:

              (i)  A human embryo into which a nonhuman cell or cells or the component parts thereof have been introduced or a nonhuman embryo into which a human cell or cells or the component parts thereof have been introduced;

              (ii)  A hybrid human-animal embryo produced by fertilizing a human egg with a nonhuman sperm;

              (iii)  A hybrid human-animal embryo produced by fertilizing a nonhuman egg with human sperm;

              (iv)  An embryo produced by introducing a nonhuman nucleus into a human egg;

              (v)  An embryo produced by introducing a human nucleus into a nonhuman egg;

              (vi)  An embryo containing at least haploid sets of chromosomes from both a human and a nonhuman life form;

              (vii)  A nonhuman life form engineered such that human gametes develop within the body of a nonhuman life form; or

              (viii)  A nonhuman life form engineered such that it contains a human brain or a brain derived wholly or predominately from human neural tissues.

          (b)  "Human embryo" means an organism of the species Homo sapiens during the earliest stages of development, from one (1) cell up to eight (8) weeks.

     (5)  Nothing in this section shall be interpreted as prohibiting either of the following if these do not violate the prohibitions of subsection (1) or meet the definitions of subsection (4) of this section:

          (a)  Research involving the use of transgenic animal models containing human genes; or

          (b)  Xenotransplantation of human organs, tissues or cells into recipient animals other than animal embryos.

     SECTION 2.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2011.