HARTFORD, Conn. (WFSB) – Tonight, state lawmakers are trying to make it easier for people to start a family.

It comes in the wake of a controversial ruling in Alabama that halted IVF treatments.

“Everyone in this state who wants to have a child should be able to do so regardless of who they love and who they want to have a child with,” said Sean Scanlon, Connecticut State Comptroller.

Reproductive rights are in the spotlight after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled frozen embryos are “children” under state law and halted IVF provisions in the state, leaving many there scrambling.

Now, Connecticut lawmakers are considering House Bill 5378, which provides equal access to health insurance coverage for infertility treatments no matter gender, sexual orientation, or marital status.

“In the majority of the cases that we see in the LGBTQ+ community, people do not have coverage, and they are marginalized,” said Dr. Mark Leondires, Founder of Illume Fertility and Gay Parents to Be.

Right now, single people or LGBTQ+ couples can’t qualify for some insurance because they aren’t legally “infertile” according to the state’s definition.

“Policies like this and making sure nobody feels discriminated against and no insurance policy either willfully or unwillfully is discriminating against them is important,” Scanlon said.

Access to this coverage is vital for people who want to start a family.

“For many patients, this is the only way they can get pregnant is through IVF,” said Dr. Hugh Taylor, Chair of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine. “If this were to become a hugely expensive burden, it would become more difficult to get that kind of coverage.”

The Insurance and Real Estate Committee has until March 21 to act on the proposed bill.

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