The fight over IVF after Alabama's ruling that frozen embryos are children

The Alabama Supreme Court's first-of-its-kind ruling held that people who destroy frozen embryos can be held liable for wrongful death,^[7] and the court's chief justice drew on religious reasoning.^[8] Clinics in the state stopped IVF treatments,^[2] patients scrambled,^[9] and leaders in both parties rushed to respond.^[10] Some Republicans joined Democrats in expressing alarm,^[11] Nikki Haley said embryos were "babies,"^[12] and Trump said he supported access to IVF.^[13] A Florida bill allowing wrongful death suits over a fetus was shelved.^[14]

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed a law in March granting legal protections to IVF providers,^[3] though one health system later said it would stop offering IVF.^[15] That month a Democrat who made reproductive rights central to her campaign won a special election for an Alabama legislative seat.^[16] In Washington, Senate Democrats brought IVF access bills to votes in June and September,^[4][17] and two Republican senators proposed a bill to stop states from banning IVF.^[18] The Southern Baptist Convention voted to oppose IVF,^[19] Trump promised to make IVF free for women if elected,^[20] and in February 2025 he signed an order to expand access and reduce costs.^[6]