Alabama Governor Signs, IVF Protection Bill .
On March 6, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed
legislation aimed at protecting in vitro fertilization
patients and providers from legal liability.
CNN reports that some clinics
are ready to lift a hold on certain
IVF services as early as this week. .
The Alabama bill comes after an
unprecedented state Supreme Court
ruling cast the future of IVF care into doubt.
The Supreme Court case reportedly
stemmed from the accidental destruction
of frozen embryos at a fertility clinic.
The state Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos
are human beings, meaning that those who destroy
them could be held liable for wrongful death.
The latest bill signed into law by the governor
aims to provide both civil and criminal
immunity to providers and patients in the case
of embryos being damaged or destroyed.
However, the fertility clinics say that the new law
doesn't address the core issue and fails to provide
the legal protection necessary to resume care.
The law does not nullify
the Supreme Court’s analysis
that says the law ought to
treat embryos just like people, Katherine Kraschel, assistant professor at
Northeastern University School of Law, via CNN.
CNN reports that experts have warned that
the latest bill could also insulate providers
from standard medical malpractice claims.
The governor stressed that the new law is meant to be
a "short-term measure" and reassured that "there will
be more work to come" on ensuring IVF protections.