Bills have been introduced in both chambers of the Alabama Legislature that would make it clear that embryos produced through in vitro fertilization should be considered “potential life,” not human life.
“We're very excited about this,” Sen. Tim Melson (R-Florence), chairman of the Alabama Senate Health Care Committee, told Gemma Stephenson of the Alabama Reflector on Thursday. We plan to introduce legislation to address this situation.
The draft of the Melson bill states that “a human egg fertilized in vitro should be considered as a potential source of life, but not for any purpose unless the fertilized egg is implanted into a woman's uterus and rendered viable. shall not be considered human life.” Pregnancy can be detected medically. ”
“We all know there's going to be a big discussion about pregnancy being life,” Melson told the Alabama Reflector. “I won't argue that point, but life doesn't form until it's in the womb.”
Alabama House Democrats have introduced their own bill, which states: “A fertilized human egg or embryo existing outside the human womb shall not be considered a fetus or a human being for any purpose under state law.” It is clearly stated.
This bill is different in that it does not specifically exclude only fertilized eggs and embryos that have been fertilized in vitro.
Both of these bills would require that embryos accidentally destroyed at IVF clinics fall under Alabama's wrongful death law because the state constitution states that life begins at or at the moment of conception. This is in response to last week's Alabama Supreme Court decision, which cited the Bible to vindicate it. Human eggs are fertilized.
The ruling drew national attention as it sparked a flurry of concerns surrounding IVF and prompted clinics, including UAB, to suspend all IVF procedures until the issue was resolved.
Sen. Katie Britt expressed support for protecting access to IVF in the state in a statement Thursday.
“My goal is for Alabama to be the best place in the world to live, work, worship and raise a family,” Britt said. “Ultimately, IVF helps create life and grow families and deserves to be protected by law. We will continue to promote a culture of living while securing resources.”
Sen. Tommy Tuberville also tried to comment on Thursday's ruling, but told NBC News, “…people need access. People need it. We need more children. , we need to give people the opportunity to have children.”
The ruling and subsequent legislation will put Alabama's anti-abortion lawmakers in a tight spot. They have previously declared that life begins at conception, but excluding embryos that have been fertilized in vitro seems to contradict the philosophical basis of that definition.
