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| Long title | An act to provide that human life shall be deemed to begin with fertilization |
|---|---|
| Announced in | the 112th United States Congress |
| Sponsored by | Paul Broun |
| Number of co-sponsors | 65 |
| Legislative history | |
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The Sanctity of Human Life Act[1]was a proposed piece of U.S. federal abortion legislation which would have conferred the status of full legal personhood on embryos beginning at fertilization or cloning.
Its 64 cosponsors, all Republicans,[2] included Todd Akin, whose comments about rape and abortion caused political controversy later in 2012, and the 2012 Republican presidential running mate Paul Ryan.[3][4]
It should not be confused with the "Sanctity of Life Act", which was a different bill introduced in its 2011 (112th Congress) version by Ron Paul with no cosponsors.