A. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, public funds, including tax proceeds, funds received from the federal government, or other revenues of the state or political subdivisions thereof, shall not be used by any person or entity, including any state-funded institution or facility, for human somatic cell nuclear transfer, commonly known as human cloning.

            B. This Section shall not prohibit areas of scientific research which are not specifically prohibited by this Section, including research in the use of nuclear transfer or other cloning techniques to produce molecules, deoxyribonucleic acid, cells other than human embryos, tissues, organs, plants, or animals other than humans nor shall this Section prohibit the use of state, private, or federal funds for research using embryonic stem cell lines approved for federal funding prior to August 9, 2001.

            C. For purposes of this Section, “human somatic cell nuclear transfer” shall mean human asexual reproduction that is accomplished by introducing the genetic material from one or more human somatic cells into a fertilized or unfertilized oocyte whose nuclear material has been removed or inactivated so as to produce an organism, at any state of development, that is genetically virtually identical to an existing or previously existing human organism.

            Acts 2008, No. 486, §1, eff. June 25, 2008; Redesignated from La. Rev. Stat. 40:1299.36 by HCR 84 of 2015 R.S.