Alabama lawmakers approve IVF protection bill amid conservative backlash, 'embroys are babies' ruling

Lawmakers in Alabama have passed legislation protecting In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) providers, just two weeks after a controversial ruling by the US state's top court that essentially said embryos are persons whose right to live should be protected.

Governor Kay Ivey immediately signed the bill into law following which some fertility clinics in the state resumed IVF treatments.

The development comes as a relief for families whose fertility treatments were suspendedin Alabamaafter the Alabama state Supreme Court issued a decision that embryos are children. That ruling camein a case stemming from the accidental destruction of frozen embryos at a fertility clinic.

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The Republican-backed legislation aims to provide civil and criminal immunity to providers and patients for the destruction or damage to embryos.

The law will apply retroactively.

The Alabama Supreme Court's verdict caused three of the state's largest IVF treatment providers to halt care due to fear of 'wrongful death' lawsuits when medically treating expecting mothers.

The bill that passed on Wednesday (Mar 6) was draftedto provide "civil and criminal immunity" to patients and clinics during IVF.

It thereforegives doctors, patients, and manufacturers legal cover to proceed with the treatments.

Personhood issue of embryo remains unaddressed: US media

However, reports in the US media say the new law does not address the issue of personhood at the heart oflast month’s unprecedented ruling.

The fertility clinic at the center of that case continues to keep its services halted. The new legislation falls short of providing the legal protection the clinic needs to resume care, CNN reported.

The state court's ruling had spurred a pan-US debate over reproductive health freedom and IVF access.