Florida Postpones “Fetal Personhood” Legislation Following Alabama’s IVF Decision.

After a Senate committee decided on Monday to postpone further consideration of the proposal—which had been approved by multiple committees—and the right-wing push to secure rights for “the unborn,” an Alabama Supreme Court ruling last week caused a national uproar, Florida Republicans are unlikely to pass a so-called “fetal personhood” bill during the current legislative session.

Senate Bill 476, which would have defined a fetus as a “unborn child” and given it protections under civil negligence rules, was announced by the panel as being temporarily postponed. The goal of the measure is to hold prospective civil actions against abortion doctors and other parties who assist in securing abortion treatment for pregnant individuals.

Opponents stated that under the law, in the event of in vitro fertilization (IVF), prospective parents could also be able to pursue damages for the “wrongful death” of an embryo.

The Senate Rules Committee postponed Monday’s hearing on a related bill since Florida’s legislative term ends on March 8.

The chair of the Florida Democratic Party, Nikki Fried, stated that Republicans were compelled to delay the bill for the time being due to the Alabama verdict rather than actual concerns about the law’s potential involvement with IVF.

Fried stated, “Florida’s fetal personhood bills would have probably passed during legislative session if the Alabama ruling had not occurred last week.”

The outcry against the decision, according to the state Democrats, “sent a strong message that banning abortion and limiting a full range of reproductive healthcare is deeply unpopular” and “set an important tone with Republican lawmakers.”

In order to prevent IVF clinics from closing out of fear of responsibility for the inevitable loss of embryos during the IVF process, the ACLU of Florida encouraged lawmakers to “shut down” the legislation entirely.

“These anti-abortion zealots will not relent at a six-week ban, nor will they cease permitting baseless civil lawsuits against providers, friends, and family. This much is clear from the events of the past month in Alabama and the first few weeks of evidence in Florida.