2012 State Advocacy Efforts

• Short Description of Bill:  SB5 would define the term “person” to include human eggs, once they are fertilized and implanted into the womb. This is a personhood bill requiring both fertilization AND implantation, which is problematic. 
• Does RESOLVE support or oppose this Bill: RESOLVE opposes this bill.
• Current status of the Bill in the legislative process:  A public hearing in the Senate Health Committee was held on May 2, but no vote was taken. The bill was not voted through committee or the full Senate by the May 3 deadline, and it is now dead for the session. 
• Click here to read the full Bill
• Read RESOLVE's Personhood Legislation Policy Statement
• Local Volunteer Needs:  Become a RESOLVE Advocate today. 

• Short Description of Ballot:  A ballot to establish Personhood, or when life begins.
• Does RESOLVE support or oppose this Ballot: RESOLVE opposes this ballot.
• Current status of the Ballot in the legislative process: Third initiative supposedly filed in late Feb. AG has not released opinion as of March 16. The proposed language was rejected a third time by the Attorney General in April 2012.
• Click here to read the Ballot Initiative Language
• Local Volunteer Needs:  Become a RESOLVE Advocate today.

• Short Description of Bill:  Requires certain provisions for informed consent for those going through in vitro fertilization.
• Does RESOLVE support or oppose this Bill: RESOLVE opposes this bill.
• Current status of the Bill in the legislative process: This bill failed to pass the Senate Health Committee.
• Click here to read the full Bill
• Click here to read the detailed analysis of this bill
• Local Volunteer Needs: RESOLVE will be monitoring the rest of the legislative session for other anti-family legislation. Please sign up for RESOLVE’s Action Alerts to receive updates. 

• Short Description of Bill: Requires certain provisions for the informed consent process for women who donate their eggs.
• Does RESOLVE support or oppose this Bill: RESOLVE opposes this bill.
• Current status of the Bill in the legislative process: This bill failed to pass the Senate Health Committee.
• Click here to read the full Bill
• Click here to read the detailed analysis of this bill
• Local Volunteer Needs:  RESOLVE will be monitoring the rest of the legislative session for other anti-family legislation. Please sign up for RESOLVE’s Action Alerts to receive updates.   

• Short Description of Ballot:  A so-called "personhood" ballot to give legal rights to newly fertilized microscopic embryos (i.e., when life begins).
• Does RESOLVE support or oppose this Ballot: RESOLVE opposes this ballot.
• Current status of the Ballot in the legislative process: People are gathering signatures for petition. Deadline is April 30, 2012. In order for the initiative to be placed on the ballot, there needs to be 807,000 signatures. In April 2012, sponsors of the California amendment announced that they failed to meet the signature threshold, and that the measure will not appear on the 2012 ballot.
• Click here to read the Ballot Initiative Language
• Local Volunteer Needs:  Become a RESOLVE Advocate today.

• Short Description of Ballot:  A so-called "personhood" ballot to give legal rights to newly fertilized microscopic embryos (i.e., when life begins).
• Does RESOLVE support or oppose this Ballot: RESOLVE opposes this ballot.
• Current status of the Ballot in the legislative process: The proposed amendment was the subject of a Colorado Supreme Court lawsuit, which was rejected by the Court in early March. The initiative is now cleared to gather signatures, and personhood supporters officially launched the petition drive on March 14.  People are gathering signatures for petition. Deadline is August 6, 2012. In order for the initiative to be placed on the ballot, there needs to be 86,000 signatures. Right now the state of Colorado is reviewing the process undertaken to get Personhood on the ballot and will decide in the next few weeks if the ballot initiative will move forward. The Colorado Personhood Amendment failed to meet the signature threshold and will not be on the ballot in November.
• Click here to read the Ballot Initiative Language
• Local Volunteer Needs: Contact RESOLVE at info@resolve.org if you would like to become a grassroots advocate.

• Short Description of Ballot:  A so-called "personhood" ballot to give legal rights to newly fertilized microscopic embryos (i.e., when life begins).
• Does RESOLVE support or oppose this Ballot: RESOLVE opposes this ballot.
• Current status of the Ballot in the legislative process: People are gathering signatures for petition. In order for the initiative to be placed on the ballot, there needs to be 676,800 signatures. After failing to qualify for the 2012 ballot, supporters have announced a new petition drive, with the goal of reaching the ballot in 2014. The language of the new petition is unchanged, but many of the signatures on the previous petition will expire due to a rule change in Florida law.
• Click here to read the Ballot Initiative Language 
• Local Volunteer Needs:  Contact RESOLVE at info@resolve.org if you are opposed to this ballot and would like to become a grassroots advocate.

• Short Description of Bill:  Proposing a ballot initiative to amend the state constitution to establish Personhood.
• Does RESOLVE support or oppose this Bill: RESOLVE opposes this bill.
• Current status of the Bill in the legislative process: Assigned to Judiciary Committee. This bill has been removed from consideration for this year.
• Click here to read the full Bill
• Read RESOLVE's Personhood Legislation Policy Statement
• Local Volunteer Needs:  Contact RESOLVE at info@resolve.org if you are opposed to this bill, have used IVF to build your family and need IVF, and would be willing to testify at hearings.

• Short Description of Bill:  A Senate Concurrent Resolution asking for an audit assessing the social and financial impact of the proposed health coverage mandate outlined in SB 615.
• Does RESOLVE support or oppose this Bill: RESOLVE supports this bill.
• Current status of the Bill in the legislative process: On February 1, 2012 SCR13 was referred to both the Senate Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection and the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.  
• Click here to read the full Bill
• Local Volunteer Needs:  If you are interested in testifying in support of this bill, please contact RESOLVE at info@resolve.org. Please sign up for RESOLVE’s Action Alerts to receive updates on this Bill.

State: Hawaii Bill Number: HB 1895
Added February 3, 2012
 

• Short Description of Bill:  Suspends the mandatory coverage for in vitro fertilization and mental health benefits in health insurance policies issued or renewed between the effective date of this Act and 06/30/15. Requires instead those benefits to be offered as options in such policies.
• Does RESOLVE support or oppose this Bill: RESOLVE opposes this bill.
• Current status of the Bill in the legislative process: Referred to the House Committee on Economic Revitalization & Business and the House Committee on Health.  
• Click here to read the full Bill
• Local Volunteer Needs:  If you are interested in testifying in opposition to this bill, please contact RESOLVE at info@resolve.org. Please sign up for RESOLVE’s Action Alerts to receive updates on this Bill. 

State: Hawaii Bill Number: HB 1809
Added February 3, 2012
 

• Short Description of Bill:  Prohibits any health benefits plan of the Hawaii employer-union health benefits trust fund issued after 06/30/13 from offering coverage of in vitro fertilization procedure and alcohol dependence, drug dependence, and mental illness treatment benefits.
• Does RESOLVE support or oppose this Bill: RESOLVE opposes this bill.
• Current status of the Bill in the legislative process: Referred to House Committee on Labor and House Committee on Finance.  
• Click here to read the full Bill
• Local Volunteer Needs:  If you are interested in testifying in opposition to this bill, please contact RESOLVE at info@resolve.org. Please sign up for RESOLVE’s Action Alerts to receive updates on this Bill. 

State: Hawaii Bill Number: HB 2105
Added February 3, 2012
 

• Short Description of Bill:  Requires insurance to cover fertility preservation for men and women of reproductive age who are undergoing treatment for cancer.
• Does RESOLVE support or oppose this Bill: RESOLVE supports this bill.
• Current status of the Bill in the legislative process: The bill was just introduced.  
• Click here to read the full Bill
• Click here to read RESOLVE's Letter of Support
• Local Volunteer Needs:  If you are interested in testifying in support of this bill, please contact RESOLVE at info@resolve.org. Please sign up for RESOLVE’s Action Alerts to receive updates on this Bill. 

 State: Illinois  
Updated April 2, 2012 

• Short Description of Issue:  The Naperville, Illinois City Council will vote on April 3, 2012 to allow a fertility clinic to be built on a site approved by the Zoning Department.  At this time the new fertility clinic facility is being protested on the grounds that IVF is immoral and should not take place in Naperville, IL.
• Does RESOLVE support or oppose this issue: RESOLVE supports the clinic to be allowed to open in Naperville.
• Current status of the Bill in the legislative process: City Council voted to allow the clinic to open.
• Read RESOLVE's letter to Naperville's Mayor
• ReadRESOLVE's blog post

 State: Indiana Bill Number: SB201
Added February 3, 2012
 

• Short Description of Bill:  This bill would increase the cap on donor compensation from 3K to 4K but also has a provision that would prohibit the donation of any unused embryo created using donor eggs. This is an anti-stem cell research bill that would have repurcussions on physicians and patients. Under this legislation, using an embryo created with donor oocytes for stem cell research would result in a Class C felony.
• Does RESOLVE support or oppose this Bill: RESOLVE opposes this bill.
• Current status of the Bill in the legislative process: The bill was just introduced.  
• Click here to read the full Bill
• Local Volunteer Needs:  If you are interested in testifying in opposition to this bill, please contact RESOLVE at info@resolve.org. Please sign up for RESOLVE’s Action Alerts to receive updates on this Bill. 

• Short Description of Bill:   A so-called "personhood" bill to give legal rights to newly fertilized microscopic embryos (i.e., when life begins).
• Does RESOLVE support or oppose this Bill: RESOLVE opposes this bill.
• Detailed Analysis of Bill: This bill declares that life begins at conception and all rights are given to the "unborn child"
• Current status of the Bill in the legislative process: This bill has been removed from consideration for this year.
• Click here to read the full Bill
• Read RESOLVE's Personhood Legislation Policy Statement
• Local Volunteer Needs:  If you are opposed to this bill, have used IVF or need to use IVF, and can testify or meet with your state legislators, please contact RESOLVE at info@resolve.org. Check back as we may launch an alert that will allow you to send letters directly to your state legislators.

• Short Description of Bill:  A so-called "personhood" bill to amend the Kansas constitution to give legal rights to newly fertilized microscopic embryos  (i.e. when life begins).
• Does RESOLVE support or oppose this Bill: RESOLVE opposes this bill.
• Current status of the Bill in the legislative process: This bill was just introduced. Referred to Committee on Judiciary. This bill has been removed from consideration for this year.
• Click here to read the full Bill
• Read RESOLVE's Personhood Legislation Policy Statement
• Local Volunteer Needs:   Become a RESOLVE Advocate today.

• Short Description of Bill:  The bill covers many legal issues involving gestational carrier surrogacy arrangements, but also covers issues with people using donor gametes in ART.  The bill covers many aspects of ART procedures and also calls for the creation of an ART registry that will be maintained by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. It is unknown how this information will be used and who will have access to it.  The bill calls for many unnecessary and burdensome steps for ART procedures and gestational carrier arrangements.
• Does RESOLVE support or oppose this Bill: RESOLVE opposes this bill.
• Current status of the Bill in the legislative process: The bill had a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee on February 23. A RESOLVE volunteer testified on behalf of RESOLVE. The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee has a hearing on March 6 and RESOLVE’s Executive Director will testify.
• Click here to read the full Bill
• Local Volunteer Needs:  If you have used a gestational carrier in Maryland, or have been a gestational carrier, or, you have used donor eggs or donor sperm with an IVF procedure and you live in Maryland, we may need you to testify. Please contact RESOLVE at info@resolve.org for more information.

• Short Description of Bill:  The bill would change the current infertility insurance mandate in Maryland so that the waiting period to access coverage will go from 24 months to 12 months. This will bring the Maryland mandate in line with the current definition of infertility.
• Does RESOLVE support or oppose this Bill: RESOLVE supports this bill.
• Detailed Analysis of Bill: In Maryland, if you are diagnosed with infertility, you must wait 2 years before your insurance will cover your treatment. This bill will change the wait period from 2 years to 1 year.  It is more consistent with other insurance mandates and allows patients to access the care of a specialist quicker.
• Current status of the Bill in the legislative process: The Bill has been introduced in the House of Delegates by Del. Jeff Waldstreicher. This bill will have a hearing before the House Health and Government Operations Committee on March 8. RESOLVE’s Executive Director will testify.
• Click here to read the full Bill
• Local Volunteer Needs:  To send a letter immediately to your Delegate on this Committee, click here. If your District Representative is Delegate Pendergrass, please use this letter to express your support of this bill.

• Short Description of Bill:  Forbids public funds or facilities that receive public funds to support research or procedures if human embryos could be lost. Imposes vague restrictions that would make IVF difficult or impossible.
• Does RESOLVE support or oppose this Bill: RESOLVE opposes this bill.
• Current status of the Bill in the legislative process: Bill referred to Judiciary Committee. The bill failed to be approved by the committee.
• Click here to read the full Bill
• Local Volunteer Needs:  Please sign up for RESOLVE’s Action Alerts to receive updates on this Bill.