House Joint Resolution 2003



                                    HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION       
                                    BY  ALONS, CHAMBERS,
                                        TYMESON, MAY, KOESTER,
                                        WINDSCHITL, SCHULTZ,
                                        DE BOEF, SORENSON,
                                        SWEENEY, HUSEMAN,
                                        KAUFMANN, RAYHONS,
                                        HAGENOW, MERTZ, and
                                        SODERBERG

                                         HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

     1 A Joint Resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution
     2    of the State of Iowa to specify that the right to life is
     3    the paramount and most fundamental right of every person,
     4    and that personhood applies to all human beings from the
     5    beginning of their biological development.
     6 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
       TLSB 5131YH (7) 83
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PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  The following amendment to the Constitution of
  1  2 the State of Iowa is proposed:
  1  3    Section 1 of Article I of the Constitution of the State of
  1  4 Iowa, as amended by amendment number 1 of the Amendments of
  1  5 1998, is amended to read as follows:
  1  6 Rights of persons.SECTION 1.
  1  7    1.  All men and women are, by nature, free and equal, and
  1  8 have certain inalienable rights == among which are those of
  1  9 enjoying and defending life and liberty, acquiring, possessing
  1 10 and protecting property, and pursuing and obtaining safety and
  1 11 happiness.
  1 12    2.  The right to life is the paramount and most fundamental
  1 13 right of every person.
  1 14    3.  With respect to the fundamental and inalienable rights
  1 15 of all persons guaranteed in this Constitution, the word
  1 16 "person" applies to all human beings, irrespective of age,
  1 17 health, function, physical or mental dependency, or method of
  1 18 reproduction, whether in vivo or in vitro, from the beginning
  1 19 of their biological development, including the single=cell
  1 20 human embryo.
  1 21    Sec. 2.  REFERRAL AND PUBLICATION.  The foregoing proposed
  1 22 amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa is referred
  1 23 to the General Assembly to be chosen at the next general
  1 24 election for members of the General Assembly, and the Secretary
  1 25 of State is directed to cause the proposed amendment to be
  1 26 published for three consecutive months previous to the date of
  1 27 that election as provided by law.
  1 28                           EXPLANATION
  1 29    This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the
  1 30 Constitution of the State of Iowa specifying that the
  1 31 right to life is the paramount and most fundamental right
  1 32 of every person, and that with respect to the fundamental
  1 33 and inalienable rights of all persons guaranteed in the
  1 34 Constitution, the word "person" applies to all human beings,
  1 35 irrespective of age, health, function, physical or mental
  2  1 dependency, or method of reproduction, whether in vivo or in
  2  2 vitro, from the beginning of their biological development,
  2  3 including the single=cell human embryo.
  2  4    The resolution, if adopted, would be referred to the next
  2  5 general assembly for adoption, before being submitted to the
  2  6 electorate for ratification.
       LSB 5131YH (7) 83
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