Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 111 Part 1.djvu/47

 PUBLIC LAW 105-12 —APR. 30, 1997 111 STAT. 23 Public Law 105-12 105th Congress An Act Apr. 30, 1997 [H.R. 1003] Assisted Suicide Funding Restriction Act of 1997. 42 USC 14401 note. 42 USC 14401. To clarify Federal law with respect to restricting the use of Federal iunds in support of assisted suicide. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. (a) SHORT TITLE. —This Act may be cited as the "Assisted Suicide Funding Restriction Act of 1997". (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS. — The table of contents of this Act is as follows: Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. Sec. 2. Findings and purpose. Sec. 3. Restriction on use of Federal funds under health care programs. Sec. 4. Restriction on use of Federal funds under certain grant programs under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act. Sec. 5. Restriction on use of Federal funds by advocacy programs. Sec. 6. Restriction on use of other Federal funds. Sec. 7. Clarification witii respect to advance directives. Sec. 8. Application to District of Columbia. Sec. 9. Conforming amendments. Sec. 10. Relation to other laws. Sec. 11. Effective date. ^ Sec. 12. Suicide prevention (including assisted suicide). SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: (1) The Federal Government provides financial support for the provision of and payment for health care services, as well as for advocacy activities to protect the rights of individuals. (2) Assisteid suicide, euthanasia, and mercy killing have been criminal offenses throughout the United States and, under current law, it would be unlawful to-provide services in support of such illegal activities. (3) Because of recent legal developments, it may become lawful in areas of the United States to furnish services in support of such activities. (4) Congress is not providing Federal financial assistance in support of assisted suicide, euthanasia, and mercy killing and intends that Federal funds not be used to promote such activities. (b) PURPOSE.— It is the principal purpose of this Act to continue current Federal p>olicy by providing explicitly that Federal funds may not be used to pay for items and services (including assistance) the purpose of which is to cause (or assist in causing) the suicide, euthanasia, or mercy killing of any individual. SEC. 3. RESTRICTION ON USE OF FEDERAL FUNDS UNDER HEALTH 42 USC 14402. CARE PROGRAMS. (a) RESTRICTION ON FEDERAL FUNDING OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES. —Subject to subsection (b), no funds appropriated by Congress for the purpose of paying (directly or indirectly) for the provision of health care services may be used— • (1) to provide any health care item or service furnished for the purpose of causing, or for the purpose of assisting in causing, the death of any individual, such as by assisted suicide, euthanasia, or mercy killing;

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