Federal ban on creating and transporting certain human-animal chimeras.
This Act establishes a federal prohibition on the creation, attempted creation, transfer, and transport of specific types of human-animal chimeras. Citizens should be aware that violating this ban is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and substantial fines, aiming to set ethical boundaries for scientific research. The prohibition does not affect standard research involving transgenic animals or the transplantation of human tissues.
Key points
Introduction of a new chapter to the U.S. Code (Title 18) prohibiting the creation and transport of certain human-animal chimeras.
The definition of a prohibited chimera includes embryos with mixed human and nonhuman cells, organisms with a human brain or human facial features, and fertilization of a human egg with nonhuman sperm.
Penalties for violating the ban include up to 10 years imprisonment, a criminal fine, and a civil fine of at least $1,000,000.
The Act does not prohibit research using transgenic animal models (containing human genes) or the transplantation of human organs into animals, provided other prohibitions are not violated.
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