Federal law would legalize for-profit sales of human bodies for research

What it does

This bill creates a federal registration and oversight system for entities that acquire and sell human bodies or body parts for education, research, or medical/dental/mortuary science training—but NOT for transplantation. Sellers must register with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, maintain detailed records proving donors consented, label and package remains with specific information, and ensure proper final disposition. Funeral homes, medical schools, and organ transplant networks are exempt. Violations can result in fines and loss of registration.

Why we flagged it

The bill's core function is to establish a federal licensing and oversight regime for the for-profit trade in human bodies and body parts used in research and education. While framed as a 'consent and integrity' measure, the operative mechanism permits and regulates a market in human remains rather than restricting it.

What the text implies

• The bill permits for-profit entities to acquire and sell human bodies and body parts, provided they register and follow procedural rules. This legalizes and normalizes a market in human remains that many jurisdictions currently prohibit or restrict, potentially creating a new commercial sector.
• Consent is required, but the bill does not restrict who may solicit donations, how aggressively, or whether economic incentives (direct payment or indirect benefit) may be offered to donors or their families—only that consent be documented.
• The Secretary has broad regulatory authority to define 'education,' 'research,' and permissible uses, and to set registration fees. Future administrations could expand or contract the scope of permitted activities through regulation without new legislation.
• Entities that transfer remains to other registered sellers are contractually liable for final disposition but have no direct control over how downstream recipients handle the remains, creating potential accountability gaps.
• The bill applies only to acquisitions after 2 years of enactment, but does not address existing inventory or prior transactions, potentially grandfathering in unregulated historical practices.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The bill creates important protections for donor consent and dignity—requiring documented consent, proper handling, and respectful disposition of human remains used in research and education. However, it explicitly permits for-profit sales of human bodies and body parts (the core mechanism), which raises ethical concerns about commodification of human remains and potential exploitation of economically vulnerable donors, even with consent requirements in place.

Who stands to gain

• for-profit body brokers and tissue suppliers
• medical education and research institutions (reduced procurement costs)
• mortuary science training programs

Named in the bill

Secretary of Health and Human Services, Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, medical schools, dental schools, mortuary science schools, funeral service professionals, tissue banks, organ procurement organizations

Where it stands

1 cosponsor: 1 Democrats.

• Apr 3, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
• Apr 3, 2025 — Referred to Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

3 lobbying clients named this bill on 5 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $170,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 4 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 61% of bills with at least one filing.

Thom Tillis, the sponsor, reported $973,475 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• National Funeral Directors Assn — $100,000 on 2 filings
• National Funeral Directors Association — $60,000 on 2 filings
• International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association — $10,000 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.