Information
Committee: House & Government Operations
HB0095
The Maryland Catholic Conference (MCC) is the public policy representative of the three (arch)dioceses serving Maryland, which together encompass over one million Marylanders. Statewide, their parishes, schools, hospitals, and numerous charities combine to form our state’s second largest social service provider network, behind only our state government.
House Bill 95 prohibits a health care provider from using the health care provider’s reproductive material when providing assistive reproductive treatment without the consent of the recipient of the treatment; prohibiting a health care provider from using a donor’s reproductive material to provide assisted reproductive treatment without the donor’s informed consent or in a manner that is inconsistent with the donor’s consent.
This legislation highlights the need for increased regulation of assisted reproductive technology (ART), which has become increasingly prevalent in society. While this technology offers new avenues for addressing infertility, it also presents significant ethical concerns and risks that must be addressed. Instances of fraud and malpractice, such as the unauthorized use of specimens by a physician or unknown individual, erode the trust between patient and physician and can lead to tragic outcomes. In some cases, embryos created through ART may be disposed of due to breaches of contract or because they were not chosen by the intended parents. Without proper oversight, the anonymity of specimen donors and the lack of accountability in these processes leave ART vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. (1)
ART allows for the creation of life outside the natural process of conception, which raises profound ethical concerns. This technology has been widely misused, resulting in the manipulation and destruction of human embryos—unique and unrepeatable lives—due to contractual disputes or personal preferences. Many embryos created in laboratories are deemed “spare” and are either destroyed or used for research purposes, reducing human life to mere biological material. (2) Such practices disregard the inherent dignity of every human being, whose life begins at conception and must be respected and protected. The increasing prevalence of infertility has led many to seek ART as a solution. However, these procedures often bypass the natural process of conception, creating embryos in a laboratory setting where their dignity is at risk.
For these reasons, the Maryland Catholic Conference seeks for this information to be considered on HB 95. Thank you for your consideration.
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(1) https://www.scrippsnews.com/science-and-tech/why-fertility-doctors-get-away-with-using-their-own-sperm
(2) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9743043/