ATLANTA – Georgia families seeking to have children would have a guaranteed right to pursue in vitro fertilization (IVF) under legislation that cleared a state House committee Monday.
While in vitro fertilization is already being practiced in Georgia, House Bill 428 would codify it into state law, protecting it from any litigation that might seek to prohibit the procedure.
IVF became a hot topic last year when the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos created through IVF should be considered children under state law, which essentially would have banned the procure. But after a public outcry, Alabama’s legislature stepped in to pass a bill protecting IVF in that state, and Gov. Kay Ivey signed it.
The right to IVF became an issue in the 2024 presidential race, with both Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris expressing their support for IVF care. Trump, who took the oath of office for his second term as president last month, signed an executive order earlier this month calling for a list of policy recommendations within 90 days on protecting IVF access and reducing out-of-pocket and insurance costs for IVF treatment.
Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, has made codifying IVF protections into state law a priority for the 2025 General Assembly session.
The chief sponsor of House Bill 428, Rep. Lehman Franklin, R-Statesboro, has personal experience with IVF. After trying unsuccessfully multiple times to become pregnant through IVF, his wife, Lorie, is due to deliver the couple a daughter in June.
“I believe she would not be pregnant if we hadn’t used IVF,” Franklin told members of the House Health Committee.
The bill now heads to the House Rules Committee to schedule a floor vote.