A.1113 (Sweeney).  A bill requiring execution of advance directives for human embryos, including “for research purposes” as an option.

Bill passed Assembly on June 13, 2006, by vote of 92 to 34; delivered to Senate June 14, 2006. 

The New York State Right to Life Committee (NYSRTLC) opposes research on human embryos and opposes any state authorization of research on human embryos.  A.1113 explicitly provides for the donation of living human embryos “for research purposes” by mandating inclusion of “for research purposes” on the advance directives form proposed in this bill. 

Research on human embryos is unethical and violates – among other codes of ethics – the Hippocratic Oath, the Belmont Commission, and the Nuremberg Code.  Research on human embryos deliberately kills members of the human family. 

Human embryos are sadly already being destroyed to extract their stem cells.  Multiple other research purposes for human embryos have been proposed for the future; there is a great desire on the part of certain researchers, biotech firms, and institutions to obtain human embryos for research.  New York State should not act to condone or assist embryo-destructive research in any way. 

Stem cells can be obtained from umbilical cord blood and a variety of adult tissues.  Sixty-five adult stem cell treatments are in use, and more adult stem cell therapies are being developed as quickly as possible.  In contrast, embryonic stem cell research (ESCR) has been in existence the same amount of time as adult stem cell research (ASCR) but has not produced one treatment.  (There are significant problems with ESCR such as uncontrollable tissue growth.)  Experts admit that ESCR therapies would be at least a decade or more in coming, if ever attainable.  In the mean time, the destruction of human life necessary to fuel continued ESCR would be immoral, and furthermore senseless. 

ESCR advocates often paint opponents of ESCR as uncompassionate toward those with diseases and disabilities.  But by directing energy toward gaining state support and funding for failing research, it is the pro-ESCR people who are costing patients and society unnecessary time and suffering by ignoring the successes and treatments already available through ASCR.  Adult stem cells are working to treat suffering persons with no harm to anyone in the process.  As a society, we must protect innocent human life.  In contrast, pro-ESCR interests continue to attempt to find sources of human embryos for a failing experiment with a high toll in human lives.  If this bill is passed, a state-authorized vehicle will exist to be used by pro-embryo-destruction research interests to try to obtain more human embryos for their fatal research.