Recently introduced legislation ? Assembly Bill 214 and Senate Bill 172 ? would make it illegal to buy or sell fetal body parts for use in scientific research. It also would prohibit researchers from using any part of fetuses that were aborted. Supporters say it would establish “reasonable standards for human tissue research,” as sponsor Rep. Andre Jacque, R-Bellevue, wrote in a State Journal op-ed. He pointed to evidence that UW-Madison researchers used body parts from aborted fetuses in the 1990s and said the bill would prevent that practice from happening again. UW-Madison officials and some in the high-tech business community oppose the bill, arguing it would set back medical researchers in the state and possibly cost hundreds or thousands of potential high-tech research jobs.
Office of Strategic Communication