ATLANTA — Georgia families seeking in vitro fertilization could soon see it protected under state law.
The state Senate overwhelmingly approved the bill on Thursday with some small changes.
Families that use IVF, including one in the Senate, are overjoyed.
Lorie Franklin can forgive her husband, Statesboro Republican Lehman Franklin, because he’s been busy getting legal protection for in vitro fertilization passed through the General Assembly.
Their little girl is due in May, and she was conceived through IVF. So, they have a personal stake in this legislation.
“We’re not quite ready. We’ve still got some things to do. But he’s been so busy, but she’s due on May 27,” Lorie Franklin said.
Thursday, the state Senate overwhelmingly approved the measure, which codifies IVF protections into Georgia law, protecting it from any potential future bills like HB 441, which would ban and criminalize abortions.
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“Definitely, the process will be there for them. There won’t be that fear of them not having the IVF process. That was our goal for this bill, so we’re super happy about it,” Lehman Franklin said.
When Alabama passed a similar measure, it inadvertently criminalized IVF, something House Speaker Jon Burns wanted to avoid when creating this measure.
Savannah Republican state Sen. Ben Watson, himself a doctor, said this bill would guard against that.
“Putting this in code to allow that and to make sure that in law, recognizing the definition recognizes that it is something in this state of Georgia will be protected,” Watson said.
The Franklins now say their toughest challenge is keeping their baby girl’s name secret for now.
“We have a name, but it is a secret. But it is a girl. A lot of people come up to me guessing two, three times, every time they see me,” Lehman Franklin said.
Georgia Democrats were 100% behind the bill. The bill now goes back to the House because the Senate changed it a bit.
But with the House Speaker’s support, it’s expected to pass as soon as Friday.
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