The Republican-controlled legislature of Alabama approved a bill on Thursday designed to safeguard the IVF sector, following a state Supreme Court decision declaring that frozen embryos should be treated as children. This has led to at least three Alabama providers halting the fertility procedure.

The Senate approved the bill with a vote of 34-0, and one member chose not to vote. The House had previously passed the bill with a stronger margin of 94-6.

Governor Kay Ivey, a Republican, has signaled that she will support the legislation. If signed by Ivey, the legislation would protect IVF providers from criminal charges and civil lawsuits. It was unclear when the measure would reach Ivey’s desk.

The recent decision by the Alabama Supreme Court on February 16 did not provide clear guidelines on the proper procedures for storing, transporting, and utilizing embryos. As a result, individuals receiving IVF treatment have expressed a desire to relocate their cryopreserved embryos outside of the state of Alabama.

Republicans across the country are working to control the negative response to the ruling made by the Alabama Supreme Court, whose members are all Republicans. Democrats have used this as further proof that reproductive rights are being threatened.

The Alabama government approved the legislation on the following day after a comparable attempt to safeguard the IVF sector at a national level was hindered in Congress.

On Wednesday, Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith from Mississippi put a stop to a move by Democrats to quickly pass a federal law ensuring that IVF treatments and facilities are available without the risk of legal action. This would also protect the providers and insurance companies involved in IVF procedures.

IVF is a method of assisted reproduction that involves the combination of eggs and sperm in a laboratory dish to create an embryo for couples experiencing challenges with conception.

The supreme court of Alabama made a decision following the submission of three lawsuits from different families against a fertility clinic and hospital for not adequately safeguarding their frozen embryos. This led to the embryos being destroyed when a patient gained unauthorized access to them.

The decision was made in consideration of the state’s 2018 Sanctity of Life Amendment to the state constitution, which was voted on and supports the importance of unborn life and the rights of unborn children.

The Alabama Attorney General’s office announced on Friday that they have no plans to prosecute providers of IVF or families who utilize their services.