The
Health Finance Committee is considering legislation that Niki Kelly
writes about in today's Fort Wayne Journal Gazette.
Under the draft legislation:
Gays, lesbians and single Hoosiers would be prohibited from using medical science to help have a child.
The actual text of the proposed legislation should be at the Health Finance Committee page. Troubles with my Adobe Acrobat prevent me from specifying the exact link, but it should be one of the documents labeled "PD". More below the fold.
Continuing from the
Niki Kelly article:
[t]he part of the bill raising eyebrows involves assisted reproduction.
It defines assisted reproduction as causing pregnancy by means other than sexual intercourse, including intrauterine insemination, donation of an egg, donation of an embryo, in vitro fertilization and transfer of an embryo, and sperm injection.
The bill then requires "intended parents" to be married to each other and specifically says an unmarried person may not be an intended parent.
A doctor can't begin an assisted reproduction technology procedure that may result in a child's being born until the intended parents of the child have received a certificate of satisfactory completion of an assessment required under the bill.
. . .
Some of the required information includes the fertility history of the parents, education and employment information, hobbies, personality descriptions, verification of marital status, child care plans, letter of reference and criminal history checks.
A description of the family lifestyle of the intended parents is also required, including individual participation in faith-based or church activities.
The Commission will vote on October 20 on whether to recommend the bill to the Indiana General Assembly.
I think Betty Cockrum of Indiana Planned Parenthood puts it very well, "If we're going to try to put Indiana on the map, I wouldn't go this route."