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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, When performed in accordance with ethical |
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standards, the medical discipline of organ transplantation is one |
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of the great achievements of modern medicine; and |
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WHEREAS, Voluntary and informed consent is the precondition |
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for ethical organ donation; international medical organizations |
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state that prisoners, deprived of their freedom, are not in the |
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position to give free consent and that the practice of sourcing |
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organs from prisoners is a violation of ethical guidelines in |
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medicine; and |
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WHEREAS, The Government of the People's Republic of China has |
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taken organs without the consent of prisoners, while also |
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preventing independent verification of its transplant system; and |
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WHEREAS, The organ transplantation system in China does not |
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comply with the World Health Organization's requirement of |
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transparency and traceability in organ procurement pathways; and |
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WHEREAS, Today, China maintains the largest forced-labor |
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camp system in the world, enslaving millions of citizens; untold |
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numbers of innocent people are detained arbitrarily and sent to |
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these camps for "reeducation through labor" without being charged |
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or tried; once imprisoned, they often suffer torture, violence, and |
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the denial of medical care; in many cases, the death penalty is |
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imposed based on confessions obtained under torture, and Chinese |
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human rights activists report that inmates on death row are forced |
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to sign organ donation forms; and |
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WHEREAS, It is imperative that every instance of organ |
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transplantation be authorized by a willing donor and that all |
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activities related to the medical procedure be trackable and open |
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to examination; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby condemn the practice of state-sanctioned forced |
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organ harvesting in the People's Republic of China and call on the |
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Government of the People's Republic of China to immediately end the |
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practice of organ harvesting from all prisoners. |