'Hybrid' ban goes to full Senate
But legislators warned of limiting researchers
Thursday, May 14, 2009
By Bill Barrow
Capital bureau
BATON ROUGE -- Louisiana should outlaw any efforts by scientists to create human-animal hybrids, a Senate committee declared Tuesday, despite a warning that such restrictions could send intellectual capital and research money elsewhere.
Senate Bill 115 by Sen. Danny Martiny, R-Kenner, lays out specific scientific acts that would result in jail time and fines for researchers and others who profit from such activities.
"We're trying to punish, for lack of a better term, mad scientists," Martiny said.
Violators would be subject to a prison term of as long as 10 years and a fine of up to $10,000. Profiting from the forbidden activity would command additional civil fines of $1 million or double the gain from the research, whichever is greater.
Martiny said the civil fine is targeted at researchers and other primary employers or executives of research outfits, rather than unwitting shareholders of an offending entity.
With the endorsement of the Senate Judiciary C Committee, the bill now goes to the full Senate.
Dorinda Bordlee, a frequent Capitol presence representing the Bioethics Defense Fund, said supporters of the bill do not know of any such research occurring in Louisiana. But lawmakers, she said, should be proactive in preventing the activities.
No one testified against the bill. But a stem cell researcher from Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge told lawmakers they generally should resist limitations on research opportunities.
"There are no mad scientists at our state institutions," Dr. Jeffrey Gimble said. "Anything that's going to criminalize scientific activity could potentially restrict our ability to recruit young scientists to our state."
Bordlee said: "Businesses don't like regulation. Scientists don't like regulation." But she said the state has a compelling interest to prevent research that she said violates society's collective moral and ethical standard.
The bill would outlaw attempts to create a human-animal hybrid; transferring a human embryo into a nonhuman womb; or transferring a nonhuman embryo into a human womb. The bill includes a lengthy passage of specific definitions of "human-animal hybrid" and other terms used in the section detailing the acts that would be illegal.
Bordlee said the clarifications ensure that ongoing research and medical activities are not affected. Examples include the use of animal parts in surgery, research or medical treatments.
Sen. Robert Adley, R-Benton, pressed Bordlee on the point. "I just want to make sure we aren't saying no to something that can cure something."
Adley, like the rest of his colleagues, voted for the bill.
Bill Barrow can be reached at [log in to unmask] or 225.342.5590.
Rayilyn Brown
Director AZNPF
Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation
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