Florida Rep. Kat Cammack (R) and Florida Senator Rick Scott (R) have introduced a resolution to back in vitro fertilization (IVF). The topic has gained widespread coverage as abortion rights continue to be an important topic heading into the 2024 presidential election. President Joe Biden (D) has also invited the first child born through IVF to his State of the Union address this evening.
This week, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey (R) signed a bill that would grant civil and criminal immunity for IVF service providers and receivers. Governor Ivey signed the bill within an hour of it passing the Alabama Senate. It's a bill that allows patients and clinics to immediate restart IVF treatments in the state, without threats of facing legal repercussions if embryos are destroyed or damaged during the medical procedure or related services like embryo shipment and storage.
In Florida, Republican lawmakers have now collaborated to introduce a resolution that supports IVF treatment in the state. Florida Rep. Cammack and Florida Senator Scott led the charge in introducing the legislation.
"There is nothing more pro-life than helping women start and raise families. IVF has done just that for decades, allowing thousands of American couples to become parents and experience the joys of raising children. I'm proud to lead this resolution in the House that supports women, families, children, and states' rights. Thank you to my friend and colleague Senator Scott for his leadership and support for IVF and American families," Rep. Cammack said in a statement.
Senator Scott echoed in her remarks, commenting that "IVF is a wonderful thing that enables so many Americans struggling with infertility to have children and start a family. I have friends and family members who have used IVF and so do countless Floridians and Americans. While IVF remains available in all 50 states, I believe it is important for the Senate to make clear our unwavering support for current and aspiring parents using IVF to start and grow their families. I am proud to lead this resolution in the Senate and have Representative Kat Cammack’s support in the House of Representatives."
The resolution can be read below:
Whereas, in vitro fertilization (hereinafter “IVF”) is a type of assisted reproductive technology developed and used for infertility treatment in adult women;
Whereas, the first successful birth of a child through the IVF process occurred in 1978, and since that time millions of children have been conceived and born using IVF worldwide;
Whereas, according to a 2015 report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (hereinafter “CDC”), more than one million children have been born in the United States between 1987 and 2015 through the use of assisted reproductive technologies, including IVF;
Whereas, according to the CDC, in the United States–
a) About 1 in 5 women with no prior births are unable to get pregnant after one year of trying to conceive a child, leading to a diagnosis of infertility;
b) About 1 in 4 women experiencing infertility have difficulty in carrying a pregnancy to term;
c) In 2021, more than 97,000 children were born using assisted reproductive technologies, including IVF;
Resolved, that the House of Representatives—
1. Affirms the desire of parents trying to conceive a child to start or grow a family;
2. Expresses sympathy for the millions of parents experiencing infertility issues as they strive to start or grow a family, and recognizes the immense physical, emotional, and psychological toll of pursuing medical assistance for infertility, including in vitro fertilization;
3. Cherishes the millions of children born through medical assistance to overcome infertility, including through in vitro fertilization;
4. Recognizes that medical assistance for infertility, including in vitro fertilization, is and remains legal in all 50 States and U.S. Territories;
5. Affirms that laws enacted by the U.S. Congress should promote the sanctity of human life and support the development and growth of families in the United States;
6. Encourages further clinical research to improve outcomes for parents seeking medical assistance to overcome infertility as they strive to start or grow a family; and
7. Supports state legislative and regulatory actions to establish health, safety, and ethical standards for medical facilities offering assisted reproductive technologies, including in vitro fertilization.
