What Michigan laws apply to human embryonic stem cell research?
On Nov. 4, 2008, Michigan voters approved Proposal 2 by a margin of 53 percent to 47 percent. The ballot measure amended the state constitution, overturning a 1978 Michigan law that prohibited the use of human embryos for research, even if those embryos were to be discarded. The law change enables Michigan researchers to derive new embryonic stem lines, using procedures already employed in laboratories around the world. The new state law allows the use of human embryos for research that is already permitted under federal law, provided that the embryos: • Were created for the purpose of fertility treatment. • Would otherwise have been discarded, either because they were not suitable for clinical use or because they were no longer needed. • Were donated by the person seeking fertility treatment. The new law makes Michigan one of just three states that protect stem cell research in the state constitution, while also enshrining specific restrictions. In addition to the restrictions listed
