Human Patent Amendment Passed by House
Provisions that would prevent the patenting of human beings are now part of an appropriations bill passed by the U.S.
House of Representatives. Florida Republican David Weldon successfully introduced language prohibiting any U.S. Patent
and Trademark Office (PTO) funds to be used to issue patents on human organisms. The full appropriations bill (H.R.
2799) was passed on July 23.
While the PTO has a policy prohibiting patents on human beings, this is the first time Congress has considered legislation that
would explicitly prevent patenting human organisms. This is an important step toward ensuring human life is never treated as a
commodity. (More Info. on Biotech Issues and Cloning)
House Protects Faith-Based Hiring Rights in Head Start Program
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the School Readiness Act of 2003 (H.R. 2210) which reauthorizes Head Start, a
program that helps educate low-income pre-school children. The bill received opposition over language that protects the
hiring rights of participating faith-based organizations but passed by a vote of 217-216 on July 25. The Senate version
of the bill does not include exemptions for religious groups.
Back To Top
