Alabama lawmakers approve new IVF protections for governor's signature
Newsy
Lawmakers passed identical bills through Alabama's House and Senate chambers, both of which are controlled by Republicans.
Lawmakers in Alabama approved new legislation to protect in vitro fertilization services on Wednesday, sending bills to Gov. Kay Ivey for signature as early as Wednesday evening.
Lawmakers passed identical bills through Alabama's House and Senate chambers, both of which are controlled by Republicans. The new legislation protects health care providers from the Alabama Supreme Court's February ruling that held frozen embryos are equal to children.
Under the new legislation, providers could not be sued or held criminally liable for the "damage or death of an embryo" during in vitro fertilization procedures.
The new legislation says that "no action, suit, or criminal prosecution for the damage to or death of an embryo shall be brought or maintained against any individual or entity when providing or receiving services related to in vitro fertilization." It would apply retroactively, but would not be applied to ongoing litigation.
The new rule would still permit certain civil lawsuits, but not criminal lawsuits, against manufacturers of IVF equipment.
