Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, a Republican, signed a law protecting civil liability for assisted reproduction clinics following the state Supreme Court's ruling that embryos are unborn children. The ruling led these centers to announce the suspension of their activities, sparking a debate in which Donald Trump himself showed his support for in vitro fertilization.
I have signed SB159, the IVF protections legislation, after it received overwhelming support from the Alabama Legislature. #alpolitics
Read my full statement: pic.twitter.com/0bCabkuAbB
— Governor Kay Ivey (@GovernorKayIvey) March 7, 2024
Guarantees for IVF clinics
SB159, passed late Wednesday by the Alabama Legislature, guarantees "civil and criminal immunity for death or damage to an embryo to any person or entity that provides or receives services related to in vitro fertilization." Ivey immediately signed the bill and, through a statement posted on her X account, announced that fertility clinics will be able to return to providing services as soon as possible.
Alabama works to foster a culture of life, and it certainly includes IVF. I am pleased to sign this important short-term measure so that Alabama couples who want to become parents can start a family through IVF. IVF is a complex issue, no doubt, and I anticipate there will be more work ahead, but right now, I am confident that this legislation will provide the assurances our IVF clinics need and lead them to resume services immediately.
Alabama, "a pro-life and pro-family state"
However, Ivey warned that, in the middle of an election year, "we will hear a lot of political rhetoric about IVF," but wanted to make it clear that her state is proud to be "a pro-life, pro-family state":
Let me say it clearly: Alabama supports growing families through IVF. From protecting the unborn to supporting IVF, Alabama is proud to be a pro-life, pro-family state.
