The Alabama House has just overwhelmingly passed IVF protections that would ensure clinics can continue with IVF treatments and not risk criminal prosecution.

Here’s the news:

The Alabama House of Representatives has passed legislation to restore access to in vitro fertilization after a controversial state Supreme Court ruling that embryos are children raised questions about the treatment in Alabama.

Thursday’s vote, which was 94-6 with three abstentions, completes another step in the process that is ultimately expected to finish up late next week with Gov. Kay Ivey signing the bill into law.

Within days of the state court’s decision earlier this month, roughly half of Alabama’s IVF clinics paused treatment for fear that they could face wrongful death lawsuits or potentially criminal charges for discarding unused embryos, a routine part of IVF.

But the House proposal, if enacted, would make clear that “no action, suit, or criminal prosecution shall be brought or maintained” against anyone providing IVF or services related to it — “except for an act or omission that is both intentional and not arising from or related to IVF services.”

It would seem Republicans are terrified of Democrats on this issue after what happened in 2022 and are going to take this away as electoral leverage. It will be interesting if someone challenges this potential law in court given how the state’s high court just ruled on embryos being children.