Bill prohibits reproductive assistance for unmarried Hoosiers
Niki Kelly in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette reports, “State bill would limit procreation assistance: Process would rule out homosexuals, singles.”
Sen. Pat Miller, R-Indianapolis, said Indiana law currently has no regulations regarding assisted reproduction and should have similar requirements to adoption in Indiana. “Needless to say it’s going to be enormously controversial and difficult,” she said. “Our statutes are nearly silent on all this. You can think of guidelines, but when you put it on paper it becomes different.”
Miller chairs the Health Finance Commission – a panel of lawmakers that will vote Oct. 20 on whether to recommend the legislation to the full General Assembly. A “no” vote doesn’t preclude it from being offered in the 2006 legislative short session, which starts in January. A “yes” vote does not ensure its passage.
There are two parts to the draft legislation – the first dealing with some irregularities in central Indiana regarding surrogacy and adoptions. But the part of the bill raising eyebrows involves assisted reproduction.
It defines assisted reproduction as causing pregnancy by means other than sexual intercourse, including intrauterine insemination, donation of an egg, donation of an embryo, in vitro fertilization and transfer of an embryo, and sperm injection. The bill then requires “intended parents” to be married to each other and specifically says an unmarried person may not be an intended parent.
Doug Masson thinks this is a bad idea. More on the General Assembly’s Health Finance Commission is available online. Here is link to the draft bill language.
