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Georgia House codifies right to in vitro fertilization, approves HB 428
Summary
After emotional testimony from sponsor Representative Leeman Franklin and bipartisan floor support, the House passed HB 428 to codify access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) in state law. Sponsors said the bill does not expand or limit current medical practice but puts IVF protections into statute.
The Georgia House of Representatives on Feb. 27 passed House Bill 428, a measure that codifies the right to in vitro fertilization (IVF) in state law.
Representative Leeman Franklin, the bill sponsor, told the chamber HB 428 does not change current medical practice but instead “safeguards that ability and protects it for Georgians and for all of Georgia in the future.” Franklin described his family’s multi‑year fertility journey and said the measure simply puts existing access into statute. “If you want to do IVF in Georgia right now, you can have it,” he said, adding the bill “codifies that language into law.”
Supporters framed the bill as a practical, pro‑family step that gives patients and providers legal certainty. Representative Panitch, who worked with the sponsor, told colleagues her daughter will need fertility preservation that accompanies IVF and supported the measure for that reason. Representative Park Cannon and others described how IVF is used by members of the LGBTQ+ community and by people who require fertility preservation; Cannon urged the House to refine language later to clarify preservation for future use. Representative Silcox, who practices law with colleagues who delayed childbearing, also spoke in favor.
Floor debate included several questions about scope and implementation. Representative Trey Kelly and others asked whether the bill affects insurance coverage or creates retroactive obligations; Franklin and other supporters said the measure is not retroactive and is intended to protect future access without imposing new retroactive mandates.
After the debate the House adopted the committee substitute and passed HB 428 by a recorded vote. The clerk announced the yeas at 172, nays 0; the bill received the requisite constitutional majority and was passed.
The bill’s text focuses on codifying access rather than expanding or defining specific insurance or funding requirements; sponsors repeatedly told the chamber that any future changes to insurance coverage or program funding would require separate measures. Supporters urged colleagues to view the bill as a narrow, protective step to preserve IVF access in Georgia.
