super70s
2024-03-07 12:19:14 UTC
Legislature Guts IVF, Contraception Protections
Bill to allow abortion exceptions in fatal fetal anomalies quietly tabled
By Hannah Herner
The Nashville Scene
March 6, 2024
In the final meeting for the House Population Health Subcommittee
Tuesday, bills that would protect contraceptive access and in vitro
fertilization were mowed down by the Republican majority.
Rep. Harold Love (D-Nashville) brought a bill (HB2227/SB1918) that
would clarify that abortion does not include the use of contraception
or the disposal of embryos leftover from IVF treatment. The bill failed.
In February, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos can be
considered children under state law, after three couples who saw their
embryos destroyed in a fertility clinic accident brought a wrongful
death case against the clinic. Some Alabama clinics paused services
while considering the ruling, fearing criminal charges. Concurrently,
Alabama lawmakers are working to pass legislation to protect IVF
providers from future charges.
Rep. Bryan Terry (R-Murfreesboro) argued that the proposed bill would
allow for "selective abortion" in IVF and where both IVF and
contraception are legal in the state of Tennessee. Love clarified that
the bill applies only to embryos that are outside the body and have
therefore not yielded a pregnancy.
Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) made an attempt to enshrine
contraception access in Tennessee law with (HB1943/SB1804), the
Tennessee Contraceptive Freedom Act. That bill also failed.
While her Republican colleagues said the bill would be obsolete because
there is no law prohibiting access to contraception, Johnson cited a
2022 ProPublica investigation that revealed pro-life groups raised the
idea of regulating access to contraception in the state.
During the Tuesday subcommittee meeting, Rep. Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville)
and Sen. London Lamar (D-Memphis) also made a case for their
Fundamental Right to Reproductive Health Care Act (HB1626/SB1590), a
symbolic bill that would repeal 19 laws and fully legalize abortion in
Tennessee, which was the law of the land before Roe v. Wade was
overturned. It failed.
Earlier in the session, Sen. Richard Briggs (R-Knoxville) teased a bill
allowing exceptions mainly for fatal fetal anomalies or conditions that
affect fertility, but that bill was tabled until next year. Briggs
confirmed to Scene sister publication the Nashville Post that Sen. Joey
Hensley (R-Hohenwald) is set to sponsor the bill, and expressed doubt
that the bill, under caption bill SB2195/HB2462 with co-sponsor Rep.
Esther Helton-Hayes (R-East Ridge), would be delayed until the next
legislative session.
Hensley did not immediately respond to the request for comment.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center, which was working on the bill
with the legislators, said in a statement: "We support the bill that
was filed and look forward to pursuing it again next year."
In a small win for the Democrats and reproductive freedom,
SB1919/HB2356 -- would allow women and girls enrolled in TennCare to
get a 12-month refill of birth control -- passed the Senate on Monday,
sponsored by Sen. Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis). It is awaiting action in
the House.
This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.
Bill to allow abortion exceptions in fatal fetal anomalies quietly tabled
By Hannah Herner
The Nashville Scene
March 6, 2024
In the final meeting for the House Population Health Subcommittee
Tuesday, bills that would protect contraceptive access and in vitro
fertilization were mowed down by the Republican majority.
Rep. Harold Love (D-Nashville) brought a bill (HB2227/SB1918) that
would clarify that abortion does not include the use of contraception
or the disposal of embryos leftover from IVF treatment. The bill failed.
In February, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos can be
considered children under state law, after three couples who saw their
embryos destroyed in a fertility clinic accident brought a wrongful
death case against the clinic. Some Alabama clinics paused services
while considering the ruling, fearing criminal charges. Concurrently,
Alabama lawmakers are working to pass legislation to protect IVF
providers from future charges.
Rep. Bryan Terry (R-Murfreesboro) argued that the proposed bill would
allow for "selective abortion" in IVF and where both IVF and
contraception are legal in the state of Tennessee. Love clarified that
the bill applies only to embryos that are outside the body and have
therefore not yielded a pregnancy.
Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) made an attempt to enshrine
contraception access in Tennessee law with (HB1943/SB1804), the
Tennessee Contraceptive Freedom Act. That bill also failed.
While her Republican colleagues said the bill would be obsolete because
there is no law prohibiting access to contraception, Johnson cited a
2022 ProPublica investigation that revealed pro-life groups raised the
idea of regulating access to contraception in the state.
During the Tuesday subcommittee meeting, Rep. Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville)
and Sen. London Lamar (D-Memphis) also made a case for their
Fundamental Right to Reproductive Health Care Act (HB1626/SB1590), a
symbolic bill that would repeal 19 laws and fully legalize abortion in
Tennessee, which was the law of the land before Roe v. Wade was
overturned. It failed.
Earlier in the session, Sen. Richard Briggs (R-Knoxville) teased a bill
allowing exceptions mainly for fatal fetal anomalies or conditions that
affect fertility, but that bill was tabled until next year. Briggs
confirmed to Scene sister publication the Nashville Post that Sen. Joey
Hensley (R-Hohenwald) is set to sponsor the bill, and expressed doubt
that the bill, under caption bill SB2195/HB2462 with co-sponsor Rep.
Esther Helton-Hayes (R-East Ridge), would be delayed until the next
legislative session.
Hensley did not immediately respond to the request for comment.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center, which was working on the bill
with the legislators, said in a statement: "We support the bill that
was filed and look forward to pursuing it again next year."
In a small win for the Democrats and reproductive freedom,
SB1919/HB2356 -- would allow women and girls enrolled in TennCare to
get a 12-month refill of birth control -- passed the Senate on Monday,
sponsored by Sen. Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis). It is awaiting action in
the House.
This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.
