What is the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act?
[H.R. 3, S. 5]

This proposed legislation would significantly alter current federal policy by requiring that the federal government conduct and support embryonic stem cell research, regardless of the date on which the stem cell lines were derived, and provided that the embryos used were: originally created for in vitro fertilization; would otherwise be discarded; and were donated by fully informed, consenting individuals.

What is the debate?

Current policy limits federal funding of stem cell research to stem cell lines created without harming or destroying an embryo or those embryonic stem cell lines that were created before August 9, 2001. As a result, stem cell research in the United States has been considerably limited in scope.

Supporters of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act assert that the lack of federal funding for embryonic stem cell research unnecessarily burdens the scientific community, slowing the progress of research that they believe will lead to significant improvements in the treatment of injury and disease.

Opponents of the proposed legislation, on the other hand, argue that the American public should not be forced to fund research that they find morally problematic. Instead, these individuals urge the federal government to invest in research that explores other sources of stem cells.

Meanwhile, in the absence of federal funding, states have begun to address the issue on their own, at times providing state funds for the same research that the federal government is unwilling to finance. As the research landscape changes, concerns about both the ethics of embryonic stem cell research and equal access to research technologies and treatment continue to arise.

What is the status of the bill?

• House cosponsors
• Senate cosponsors
• June 20, 2007 – The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act is vetoed by the President.
• June 7, 2007 – The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act is passed in the House by a vote of 247-176.
• March 11, 2007 – The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act is passed in the Senate by a vote of 63-34.
• January 11, 2007 – The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act is passed in the House by a vote of 253-174.
• January 5, 2007 – The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (H.R. 3) is introduced in the House of Representatives.
• January 4, 2007 – The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (S. 5) is introduced in the Senate.