Florida Republican lawmakers axe ‘unborn child’ bill after Alabama IVF ruling

Florida Republicans have decided to hold off on a bill in the state’s Senate which would have allowed civil lawsuits over the wrongful death of a foetus, appearing to bow to pressure following Alabama’s controversial supreme court ruling that frozen embryos could be considered children.

The bill, titled “Civil Liability for the Wrongful Death of an Unborn Child”, was designed to allow parents to receive financial damages in some circumstances when a foetus has died.

On Monday, however, state senators decided to pause Senate Bill 476’s passage with just a few weeks left of the current legislative period.

Warnings had been getting louder over what passing the bill would mean: that a foetus could be defined as a person from the moment of conception and that this could make things complicated for doctors and families.

That definition has been talked about a lot in recent weeks, following the Alabama supreme court ruling which included this, leading to a halting of IVF treatment in that state.

Florida State Democrat Party leader Lauren Brook has been one of the key voices raising concerns about the Sunshine State bill, saying IVF was at risk there as a result.

“Legally designating a foetus as a person with rights, including the right to life from the moment of conception diminishes the rights of women and mothers, opening the door for further restriction on abortion and reproductive medicines like IVF,” Ms Brook said in a post on X. “Thankfully, it appears personhood will not be the law of the land in our state.”

One of the bill’s sponsors, Republican Erin Grall, said she wanted to make sure that the policy was right.

“Although I have worked diligently to respond to questions and concerns, I understand there is still work