PROFS has officially registered against Assembly Bill 224. The bill, introduced by Representative Andre Jacque (R-Bellevue), would make it illegal to provide or use for experimentation fetal body parts. The proposal is similar to one opposed by PROFS last session, but goes further. If passed, AB 224 would criminalize the use of scientific material previously derived from fetal tissue, which includes stem cell lines that have been in use for more than 30 years.
Cures for Tomorrow, an non-partisan advocacy group, recently released a video in opposition to AB 224, noting that the “legislation would criminalize the current development of cures and treatments for the following conditions and diseases: spontaneous pregnancy loss and recurrent miscarriages; Down’s syndrome; infertility; maternal diseases of pregnancy, including preeclampsia, and other such conditions which limit human fertility and reproductive success, and prevent couples from having healthy babies; cancer treatments for diseases like childhood leukemia; improved transplant outcomes; new and more effective vaccines for flu, tuberculosis or typhoid fever or against multi drug resistance bacteria (so called “flesh eating” bacteria); and heart attacks and sudden cardiac death.”
The bill was introduced May 29 and referred to the Committee on Criminal Justice. A public hearing has not yet been scheduled.