H. B. 2856
(By Delegates Armstead, Border, Frich, Howard and Blair)
[Introduced March 3, 2005; referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary.]
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto
a new section, designated §61-10-32, relating to crimes against public policy
generally; prohibiting human and embryonic cloning; and prescribing criminal
penalties for violations of the section.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a
new section, designated §61-10-32, to read as follows:
ARTICLE 10. CRIMES AGAINST PUBLIC POLICY.
§61-10-32. Cloning; penalties.
It is unlawful for anyone to participate in any activity involving the
cloning of any human being or human embryo.
Any person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a felony
and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than five thousand dollars
or not more than ten thousand dollars, or imprisoned in a
state correctional facility for not less than one nor more than three years or,
in the discretion of the court, by both such fine and imprisonment. Nothing in
this section shall be construed or interpreted to endorse, allow, permit or
approve of any abortion.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to prohibit cloning of human beings and
embryos and to prescribe a criminal penalty for violation of the provisions of
the bill.
This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and underscoring have been
omitted.