MONTGOMERY — The state of Alabama is taking on human cloning after the House of Representatives passed legislation last week making it a Class C felony to engage in human asexual reproduction.
House Bill 380 (HB380), sponsored by State Rep. Phillip Rigsby (R-Huntsville), passed the House of Representatives during last week's deliberations.
"We stand at a crossroads in science, ethics and human dignity," Rigsby told the House. "The prospect of human cloning, once confined to science fiction, now challenges us to make a firm moral and legal stand. While technological advancements have provided humanity with remarkable medical breakthroughs, not all scientific possibilities align with what is ethical, just and safe. That is why we must enact legislation to prohibit human cloning in our state."
He continued, "This bill will provide for a parameter or guardrails around performing or producing a fully developed human clone."
The bill was amended on the floor to clarify that its provisions do not apply to in vitro fertilization, the administration of fertility-enhancing drugs, or other procedures used to assist a woman in becoming or remaining pregnant unless performed with specific intent to result in the gestation or birth of a child genetically identical to another embryo, fetus or human being, living or dead.
"Theoretically, they're not doing anything that this would apply to; this is just a precaution," Rigsby explained. "But twins are a good example. You can't intentionally split an embryo to try to cause identical twins."
It also does not restrict areas of scientific research that are not explicitly prohibited, including research into nuclear transfer or other cloning techniques to produce molecules, deoxyribonucleic acid, cells other than embryos, tissues, organs, plants, or animals other than humans.
According to Rigsby, several other states have enacted similar provisions, with his bill mirroring legislation from Arkansas.
Some lawmakers asked questions about the bill, seemingly taken aback by the subject. However, it passed the House with a vote of 71-4 with 22 abstentions. The only no-votes came from Democratic lawmakers.
It must now clear the Senate before becoming law in the nine remaining legislative days in the 2025 session.
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