Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-102
§3515b Prohibition on Funding Certain Experiments Involving Human Participants
Title 42 › CHAPTER 43 — DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES › SUBCHAPTER I — GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 3515b
Summary
Funds from this Act or later Labor, HHS, and Education appropriations must not pay for experimental activities involving people that the Secretary or a court finds dangerous to their physical, mental, or emotional health unless each person—or a parent/guardian if under 18—gives written, informed consent. The Secretary must make rules to carry out this.
Full Legal Text
Title 42, §3515b
The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
None of the funds appropriated by this Act or subsequent Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Acts shall be used to pay for any research program or project or any program, project, or course which is of an experimental nature, or any other activity involving human participants, which is determined by the Secretary or a court of competent jurisdiction to present a danger to the physical, mental, or emotional well-being of a participant or subject of such program, project, or course, without the written, informed consent of each participant or subject, or a participant’s parents or legal guardian, if such participant or subject is under eighteen years of age. The Secretary shall adopt appropriate regulations respecting this section.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Prior Provisions
Provisions similar to this section were contained in the following prior appropriation acts: Pub. L. 102–170, title II, § 211, Nov. 26, 1991, 105 Stat. 1127. Pub. L. 101–517, title II, § 212, Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 2209. Pub. L. 101–166, title II, § 215, Nov. 21, 1989, 103 Stat. 1178.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
42 U.S.C. § 3515b
Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102