Bill: Senate Bill 203 (full text)Title: Expand Prohibition of Fetal Tissue Use
Sponsors: Senator LeRose
Co-Sponsors: Senators Hottinger, Burke, Uecker, Oelslager, Jones, Lehner, Hite, and Obhof
Bill Analysis: This bill would expand upon the prohibitions in place regarding the transfer of fetal tissue which is aborted. It expands the way that the state defines “selling” to include compensation for the services related to collection of the produce, transfer of the product, or money received from the state. It would introduce new restrictions to prohibit the use of fetal tissue from an abortion in medical treatment as a substance or component in diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of a disease. This bill would increase the penalty (originally a misdemeanor in the first degree) of those found guilty of abortion trafficking under these new regulations; making an offense punishable by a prison term of not more than ten years, a fine, or both.
Status: Introduced in the Senate on August 13, 2015. It was referred to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on September 17, 2015.
