Protecting Life and Integrity in Research Act of 2025
Protecting Life and Integrity in Research Act of 2025
Plain Language Summary
# Summary: Protecting Life and Integrity in Research Act of 2025 **What the bill would do:** This bill would prohibit the federal government from funding, conducting, or supporting any medical research that uses fetal tissue from induced abortions. It would also make it illegal for any organization to knowingly obtain or accept such tissue. However, research using fetal tissue from miscarriages or stillbirths would still be allowed.
Organizations that violate these rules could face criminal penalties. **Who it affects:** The bill would primarily affect medical researchers, universities, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies that conduct federally funded research. It could impact the development of treatments for diseases like Parkinson's and diabetes, which some researchers have studied using fetal tissue. The bill would also apply broadly to any organization that handles human fetal tissue. **Current status:** The bill was introduced in the Senate by Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) in the 119th Congress and is currently in committee, meaning it has not yet been debated or voted on by the full Senate.
CRS Official Summary
Protecting Life and Integrity in Research Act of 2025This bill prohibits federal agencies from supporting research involving, and prohibits any entity from soliciting or knowingly acquiring, human fetal tissue obtained pursuant to an induced abortion. Specifically, the bill prohibits any federal agency from conducting, funding, approving, or otherwise supporting research involving such tissue. Federal agencies may conduct or support research involving human fetal tissue obtained after a miscarriage or stillbirth.Additionally, the bill prohibits any entity from soliciting or knowingly acquiring, receiving, or accepting a donation of human fetal tissue where the entity knows it was obtained pursuant to an induced abortion. Entities violating this prohibition are subject to criminal penalties. The bill provides an exception for transfers for purposes of autopsy or burial.
Latest Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.