The Georgia House of Representatives voted unanimously Thursday to codify into state law the right of women seeking to become pregnant to receive in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment.
House Bill 428 was prompted by a ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court last year that declared frozen embryos created through IVF should be treated as children. The decision essentially banned the procedure in that state until Alabama lawmakers passed a bill protecting IVF.
“This bill does not change anything that’s not currently being done in Georgia,” Rep. Lehman Franklin, R-Statesboro, said Thursday.
Franklin has a personal interest in the legislation. His wife, Lorie, who he introduced to his House colleagues, has become pregnant through IVF treatment and is due to deliver a daughter in June.
Republicans and Democrats came to the House well to endorse the bill.
“Every family deserves the opportunity to bring new life into this world when they’re ready,” said Rep. Esther Panitch, D-Sandy Springs.
“It is critical legally to protect this right,” added Rep. Deborah Silcox, a Republican who is also from Sandy Springs.
House Speaker Jon Burns, who made protecting IVF one of his top priorities for the 2025 General Assembly session, issued a statement after Thursday’s 172-0 vote in favor of the bill thanking House members for their support.
“I’m incredibly proud of today’s passage of HB 428, which ensures Georgians struggling with infertility will never have to question their ability to seek medical assistance with starting or growing their families,” said Burns, R-Newington.
The bill now moves to the state Senate.
Dave Williams | Capitol Beat News Service
Dave Williams is the Bureau Chief for Capitol Beat News Service. He is a veteran reporter who has reported on Georgia state government and politics since 1999. Before that, he covered Georgia’s congressional delegation in Washington, D.C.
