H. B. 2928
(By
Delegate Faircloth)
[Introduced
February 10, 2003; referred to the
Committee
on Health and Human Resources then the Judiciary.]
A BILL to amend article nineteen, chapter sixteen of the code of West
Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, by adding thereto
a new section, designated section three-a, relating to prohibiting the use of
the body of an unborn baby to be used for any medical experimentation or
scientific investigation, except as necessary to diagnose a disease or
condition suspected to exist in the mother's or fetuses' body; prescribing
criminal penalties for violation of the section.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That
article nineteen, chapter sixteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand
nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section,
designated section three-a, to read as follows:
ARTICLE 19. ANATOMICAL GIFT ACT.
§16-19-3a. Prohibition against using bodies of fetuses for certain
purposes.
The
body of a unborn fetus may not be used for any medical experimentation or
scientific investigation, except as necessary to diagnose a disease or condition
suspected to exist in the body of the mother or the fetus. Any
person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor
and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than one thousand nor more
than five thousand dollars, or imprisoned up to six months in a county or
regional jail, or both fined and imprisoned.
NOTE:
The purpose of this bill is to prohibit the use of the body of an unborn baby to
be used for any medical experimentation or scientific investigation, except as
necessary to diagnose a disease or condition suspected to exist in the mother's
or fetuses' body; The bill also prescribes criminal penalties for violation of
the section.
This
section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and underscoring have been omitted.