Title 42The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§289g Fetal research

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 6A— - PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - NATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTES › Part Part H— - General Provisions › § 289g

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must not fund or do any research on a living human fetus outside the womb that cannot survive, or on a living fetus outside the womb whose ability to survive has not been checked, unless one of two things is true. Either the research might help the fetus’s health or increase its chance of surviving outside the womb, or the research adds no extra risk of pain, injury, or death and is only done to get important medical knowledge that cannot be learned any other way. When the Secretary oversees protections for people in research that the Department conducts or supports and that involve living human fetuses in the womb, the Secretary must follow the rules published in section 46.208 of part 46 of title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §289g

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary may not conduct or support any research or experimentation, in the United States or in any other country, on a nonviable living human fetus ex utero or a living human fetus ex utero for whom viability has not been ascertained unless the research or experimentation—
(1)may enhance the well-being or meet the health needs of the fetus or enhance the probability of its survival to viability; or
(2)will pose no added risk of suffering, injury, or death to the fetus and the purpose of the research or experimentation is the development of important biomedical knowledge which cannot be obtained by other means.
(b)In administering the regulations for the protection of human research subjects which—
(1)apply to research conducted or supported by the Secretary;
(2)involve living human fetuses in utero; and
(3)are published in section 46.208 of part 46 of title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations;

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1993—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 103–43 struck out subsec. (c) which directed Biomedical Ethics Advisory Committee to conduct a study of the nature, advisability, and biomedical and ethical implications of exercising any waiver of the risk standard published in section 46.102(g) of part 46 of title 45 of the Code of Federal

Regulations

and to report its finding to the Biomedical Ethics Board not later than 24 months after Nov. 4, 1988, which report was to be then transmitted to specified Congressional committees. 1988—Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 100–607, § 157(b), substituted “24 months after
November 4, 1988” for “thirty months after
November 20, 1985”. Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 100–607, § 156(1), substituted “24-month period beginning on
November 4, 1988” for “thirty-six month period beginning on
November 20, 1985”. Subsec. (c)(3). Pub. L. 100–607, § 156(2), substituted “1990” for “1988”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Nullification of Certain Provisions Pub. L. 103–43, title I, § 121(c),
June 10, 1993, 107 Stat. 133, provided that: “The provisions of Executive Order 12806 (57 Fed. Reg. 21589 (
May 21, 1992)) [formerly set out below] shall not have any legal effect. The provisions of section 204(d) of part 46 of title 45 of the Code of Federal

Regulations

(45 CFR 46.204(d)) shall not have any legal effect.”

Executive Documents

Executive Order No. 12806. Establishment of Fetal Tissue Bank Ex. Ord. No. 12806,
May 19, 1992, 57 F.R. 21589, which established a human fetal tissue bank, was nullified by Pub. L. 103–43, title I, § 121(c),
June 10, 1993, 107 Stat. 133, set out above. Federal Funding of Fetal Tissue Transplantation Research Memorandum of President of the United States, Jan. 22, 1993, 58 F.R. 7457, provided: Memorandum for the Secretary of Health and Human Services On
March 22, 1988, the Assistant Secretary for Health of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) imposed a temporary moratorium on Federal funding of research involving transplantation of fetal tissue from induced abortions. Contrary to the recommendations of a National Institutes of Health advisory panel, on
November 2, 1989, the Secretary of Health and Human Services extended the moratorium indefinitely. This moratorium has significantly hampered the development of possible treatments for individuals afflicted with serious diseases and disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and leukemia. Accordingly, I hereby direct that you immediately lift the moratorium. You are hereby authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register. William J. Clinton.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 289g

Title 42The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73