HOUSE BILL NO. 1424
Fifty-eighth Legislative Assembly of North Dakota
In Regular Session Commencing Tuesday, January 7, 2003
HOUSE BILL NO. 1424
(Representatives Koppelman, F. Klein, Wald)
(Senators Christmann, Kilzer, Lindaas)
AN ACT to prohibit human cloning; and to provide a penalty.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF NORTH DAKOTA:
SECTION 1. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless the context otherwise requires:
1. "Fetus" means a living organism of the species homo sapiens from eight weeks'
development until complete expulsion or extraction from a woman's body, or until removal
from an artificial womb or other similar environment designed to nurture the development
of such organism.
2. "Human cloning" means human asexual reproduction, accomplished by introducing the
genetic material of a human somatic cell into a fertilized or unfertilized oocyte, the nucleus
of which has been or will be removed or inactivated, to produce a living organism with a
human or predominantly human genetic constitution.
3. "Human embryo" means a living organism of the species homo sapiens from the
single-celled state to eight weeks' development.
4. "Human somatic cell" means a cell having a complete set of chromosomes obtained from a
living or deceased human organism of the species homo sapiens at any stage of
development.
5. "Oocyte" means a human female germ cell, also known as an egg.
SECTION 2. Human cloning - Prohibition - Penalty.
1. A person may not intentionally or knowingly:
a. Perform or attempt to perform human cloning;
b. Participate in performing or attempting to perform human cloning;
c. Transfer or receive the product of a human cloning for any purpose; or
d. Transfer or receive, in whole or in part, any oocyte, human embryo, human fetus, or
human somatic cell, for the purpose of human cloning.
2. Nothing in subsection 1 restricts areas of scientific research not specifically prohibited,
including in vitro fertilization, the administration of fertility enhancing drugs, or research in
the use of nuclear transfer or other cloning techniques to produce molecules,
deoxyribonucleic acid, tissues, organs, plants, animals other than humans, or cells other
than human embryos.
3. A person who violates subdivision a or b of subsection 1 is guilty of a class C felony. A
person who violates subdivision c or d of subsection 1 is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
H. B. No. 1424 - Page 2
____________________________ ____________________________
Speaker of the House President of the Senate
____________________________ ____________________________
Chief Clerk of the House Secretary of the Senate
This certifies that the within bill originated in the House of Representatives of the Fifty-eighth Legislative
Assembly of North Dakota and is known on the records of that body as House Bill No. 1424.
House Vote: Yeas 90 Nays 1 Absent 3
Senate Vote: Yeas 46 Nays 0 Absent 1
____________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
Received by the Governor at M. on , 2003.
Approved at M. on , 2003.
____________________________
Governor
Filed in this office this day of , 2003,
at o'clock M.
____________________________
Secretary of State
Legislative Council
State Capitol
600 East Boulevard
Bismarck, ND 58505-0360
E-mail: lcouncil@nd.gov
Phone: 701-328-2916
