ANNAPOLIS (AP) - Fearful the state will lose its edge in the highly competitive biotechnology field, two Democratic lawmakers will sponsor legislation next year to foster human embryonic stem cell research in Maryland.

The bills by Sen. Paula Hollinger of Baltimore County and Del. Samuel Rosenberg of Baltimore would create a legal framework for conducting stem cell research and would provide state funds to underwrite research in a field that has inflamed passions in scientific and religious communities.

Proponents of research on cells from human embryos believe it could lead to the discovery of new ways to prevent and treat debilitating conditions such as Parkinson's disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and spinal cord injuries.

But embryonic stem cell research is vehemently opposed on ethical grounds by people who believe destroying an embryo to extract stem cells amounts to destruction of a human life. Some scientists also have criticized the validity of the study of embryonic stem cells, arguing that the potential benefits have been grossly exaggerated.

Funding for embryonic stem cell research became a state issue after President Bush banned use of federal funds for research on embryonic stem cell lines created after Aug. 9, 2001. The value of those existing lines has been questioned by many researchers.

Rosenberg and Hollinger said other states are passing laws to encourage stem cell research, and Maryland needs to act quickly to maintain its status as one of the national leaders in biotechnological research and development.

California voters approved a $3 billion fund to underwrite stem cell research in November. New Jersey has established a Stem Cell Institute, and Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle has proposed investing almost $750 million to bolster stem cell research and other scientific efforts.

"Maryland is one of the top three or four states in biotechnology research," Rosenberg said. "We would risk that stature if we allow our scientists to go west to California or to go north to New Jersey or several other states which are considering giving support for this kind of research."

Robert Eaton, president of MDBio, a Frederick-based nonprofit organization that supports commercial development of bioscience in Maryland, said stem cell research "is certainly going to be one of the key areas of scientific research over the next decade or so."

"I think what's important is that Maryland be seen as a place that is willing to tackle all of these issues and maintain its support for bioscience research," Eaton said.

Hollinger said the legislation that she and Rosenberg are developing would prohibit human cloning and would establish a process by which embryos, including those left over from fertility treatments, could be donated for research.

The bills would also provide $25 million a year for stem cell research conducted in Maryland.

The money would come from the share of Maryland's tobacco settlement money that has been going to Peter Angelos' law firm to pay him for representing the state in its lawsuit against tobacco companies. The final installment of almost $30 million will be paid to Angelos next year, and Rosenberg said the money would become available the following year without taking funding away from other programs, including cancer research.

Anti-abortion lawmakers oppose using state funds to pay for embryonic stem cell research because they consider destruction of the embryo to be destruction of human life.

"The bill would require using embryonic, fetal material, which is just unacceptable," Sen. Lowell Stoltzfus, Republican Senate minority leader from Somerset County, said.

Republican Sen. Andrew Harris from Baltimore County, an anesthesiologist and the only physician in the Senate, said the ethical issue "is the big issue to those of us who value human life. ..."

But he said putting aside ethics, the state should be concentrating on research using adult stem cells.

"Adult stem cells have been used for research for decades. That's where a lot of the promise lies in stem cell therapy," Harris said.

Gov. Robert Ehrlich said he would have to see the details of the legislation before taking a position on it. But he said he has in the past supported using federal money for stem cell research.

Hollinger promises an all-out effort to pass the legislation over what she expects will be an equally all-out effort to kill it by abortion opponents.

"They would like to make this an abortion issue, and I think that's absurd," Hollinger said.

"Embryos that are going to be used for research would be thrown in the trash anyway. I'm not interested in throwing out the future for my child and my grandchild," she said.

In developing their bill, Hollinger and Rosenberg have worked with Curt Civin, Samuelson Professor of cancer research at Johns Hopkins' Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center.

California has taken the lead with its $3 billion stem cell research fund, and "I'm hoping Maryland will be a close follower in California's wake," Civin said.

"There is a lot of impetus in this state and other states to craft laws similar to California's to hold on to our scientists in universities and in biotech corporations and the biotech corporations themselves," Civin said.