Bill Text: TX HR748 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Condemning the practice of state-sanctioned forced organ harvesting from prisoners in the People's Republic of China.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-03-12 - Referred to State Affairs [HR748 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HR748-Introduced.html
86R16690 GM-D | ||
By: Shaheen | H.R. No. 748 |
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WHEREAS, When performed in accordance with ethical | ||
standards, the medical discipline of organ transplantation is one | ||
of the great achievements of modern medicine; and | ||
WHEREAS, Voluntary and informed consent is the precondition | ||
for ethical organ donation; international medical organizations | ||
state that prisoners, deprived of their freedom, are not in the | ||
position to give free consent and that the practice of sourcing | ||
organs from prisoners is a violation of ethical guidelines in | ||
medicine; and | ||
WHEREAS, The Government of the People's Republic of China has | ||
taken organs without the consent of prisoners, while also | ||
preventing independent verification of its transplant system; and | ||
WHEREAS, The organ transplantation system in China does not | ||
comply with the World Health Organization's requirement of | ||
transparency and traceability in organ procurement pathways; and | ||
WHEREAS, Today, China maintains the largest forced-labor | ||
camp system in the world, enslaving millions of citizens; untold | ||
numbers of innocent people are detained arbitrarily and sent to | ||
these camps for "reeducation through labor" without being charged | ||
or tried; once imprisoned, they often suffer torture, violence, and | ||
the denial of medical care; in many cases, the death penalty is | ||
imposed based on confessions obtained under torture, and Chinese | ||
human rights activists report that inmates on death row are forced | ||
to sign organ donation forms; and | ||
WHEREAS, It is imperative that every instance of organ | ||
transplantation be authorized by a willing donor and that all | ||
activities related to the medical procedure be trackable and open | ||
to examination; now, therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas | ||
Legislature hereby condemn the practice of state-sanctioned forced | ||
organ harvesting in the People's Republic of China and call on the | ||
Government of the People's Republic of China to immediately end the | ||
practice of organ harvesting from all prisoners. |