SB 1284 and HB 1517 pose a serious threat to reproductive rights and will have devastating consequences for IVF and contraception access. These bills aim to revise the wrongful death statute to include embryos as "unborn children," allowing parents to seek damages in cases where an embryo is harmed or dies. This legal recognition of embryos could open the door to lawsuits over embryos that don’t survive or are discarded in IVF procedures.

Moreover, this bill could restrict access to certain forms of contraception including IUDs and emergency contraceptives like Plan B, as these methods prevent pregnancy by inhibiting the implantation of a fertilized egg. If embryos are granted legal personhood, preventing implantation could be viewed as causing harm to an "unborn child."

Florida has already seen extreme restrictions on reproductive rights, including a restrictive abortion ban, and this bill is just another step toward even further limitations. By expanding the wrongful death statute to include embryos, the state could eventually ban abortion at any and every stage of pregnancy, undermining a woman's right to make decisions about her own body.

We must act now to stop this bill before it becomes law. Write to your legislators and urge them to vote NO on SB 1284 and HB 1517 to protect reproductive rights and prevent the erosion of access to IVF and contraception.