Gov. Doug Ducey signs bill giving parent use of embryos after divorce
Apr 3, 2018, 5:22 PM | Updated: 8:50 pm
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey speaks during the panel The Opioid Crisis, at the National Governor Association 2018 winter meeting, on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
(AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill into law on Tuesday that will allow a parent to use embryos that were created during the marriage, even if their divorced spouse doesn’t want a child.
The legislation, Senate Bill 1393, was pushed by Republican Sen. Nancy Barto and the social conservative group Center for Arizona Policy.
All but one Democrat opposed the legislation, saying it interfered with legal agreements couples sign during in-vitro fertilization treatments.
Barto pushed the proposal to help a woman who was denied use of her seven embryos by a court because her ex-husband no longer wanted children.
The court ordered the embryos donated under a contract the couple signed prior to their creation.
Barto has said she hopes an appeals court will now grant her access to her embryos.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
