Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB95 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	hb0095
6	6
7	7	HOUSE BILL 95
8	8	J1, J3 5lr1208
9	9	(PRE–FILED)
10	10	By: Delegate Allen
11	11	Requested: October 14, 2024
12	12	Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025
13	13	Assigned to: Health and Government Operations
14	14
15	15	A BILL ENTITLED
16	16
17	17	AN ACT concerning 1
18	18
19	19	Health Care Providers – Assisted Reproductive Treatment – Informed Consent 2
20	20	and Fraud 3
21	21
22	22	FOR the purpose of prohibiting a health care provider from using the health care provider’s 4
23	23	reproductive material when providing assistive reproductive treatment without the 5
24	24	consent of the recipient of the treatment; prohibiting a health care provider from 6
25	25	using a donor’s reproductive material to provide assisted reproductive treatment 7
26	26	without the donor’s informed consent or in a manner that is inconsistent with the 8
27	27	donor’s consent; requiring a health care provider to obtain certain informed consent 9
28	28	before providing assistive reproductive treatment; prohibiting a health care provider 10
29	29	and an employee of a health care provider from misrepresenting certain information 11
30	30	regarding human reproductive material or the donor of the material to the recipient 12
31	31	of an assisted reproductive treatment; and generally relating to assisted 13
32	32	reproductive treatment and health care provider fraud. 14
33	33
34	34	BY adding to 15
35	35	Article – Health – General 16
36	36	Section 20–112 17
37	37	Annotated Code of Maryland 18
38	38	(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 19
39	39
40	40	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 20
41	41	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 21
42	42
43	43	Article – Health – General 22
44	44
45	45	20–112. 23
46	46	2 HOUSE BILL 95
47	47
48	48
49	49	(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANING S 1
50	50	INDICATED. 2
51	51
52	52	(2) (I) “ASSISTED REPRODUCTI VE TREATMENT ” MEANS A METHOD 3
53	53	OF CAUSING PREGNANCY OTHER THAN THROUGH S EXUAL INTERCOURSE . 4
54	54
55	55	(II) “ASSISTED REPRODUCTI VE TREATMENT ” INCLUDES: 5
56	56
57	57	1. DONATION OF EGGS OR SPERM ; 6
58	58
59	59	2. DONATION OF EMBRYOS; 7
60	60
61	61	3. INTRACYTOPLASMIC SPER M INJECTION; 8
62	62
63	63	4. INTRAUTERINE OR INTRACERVICAL INS EMINATION; 9
64	64	AND 10
65	65
66	66	5. IN VITRO FERTILIZATION AND EMBRYO TRANSFER . 11
67	67
68	68	(3) “DONOR” MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO PR OVIDES, WITH OR 12
69	69	WITHOUT CONSIDERATIO N, SPERM OR AN OVUM INT ENDED FOR USE IN ASS ISTED 13
70	70	REPRODUCTI VE TREATMENT . 14
71	71
72	72	(4) “HEALTH CARE PROVIDER” MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS 15
73	73	LICENSED, CERTIFIED, OR OTHERWISE AUTHORI ZED UNDER THE HEALTH 16
74	74	OCCUPATIONS ARTICLE TO PROVIDE ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TREATME NT. 17
75	75
76	76	(5) “HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE MA TERIAL” MEANS: 18
77	77
78	78	(I) HUMAN SPERMATOZOON ; 19
79	79
80	80	(II) HUMAN OVUM ; OR 20
81	81
82	82	(III) A HUMAN ORGANISM AT ANY STAGE OF DEVE LOPMENT 21
83	83	FROM FERTILIZED OVUM TO EMBRYO. 22
84	84
85	85	(6) “INFORMED CONSENT ” MEANS A WRITTEN DOCUMENT T HAT: 23
86	86
87	87	(I) IS SIGNED BY THE PATIENT; AND 24
88	88
89	89	(II) IS ATTESTED TO BY THE PATIENT’S TREATING HEALTH 25
90	90	CARE PROVIDER AND A WITNESS. 26
91	91	HOUSE BILL 95 3
92	92
93	93
94	94	(B) BEFORE PROVIDING AN ASSISTED REPRODUCTI VE TREATMENT , A 1
95	95	HEALTH CARE PROVIDER SHALL : 2
96	96
97	97	(1) OBTAIN A DONOR’S WRITTEN CONSENT TO USE THE DONOR’S 3
98	98	REPRODUCTIVE MATERIA L; 4
99	99
100	100	(2) OBTAIN A RECIPIENT ’S CONSENT TO USE A S PECIFIC DONOR ’S 5
101	101	REPRODUCTIVE MATERIA L; 6
102	102
103	103	(3) ENSURE THAT CONSENT F OR THE USE OF HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE 7
104	104	MATERIAL IS PROVIDED ON A FORM THAT IS DI STINCT AND SEPARATE FROM ANY 8
105	105	OTHER CONSENT FORM ; AND 9
106	106
107	107	(4) MAINTAIN A COPY OF WRITTEN CONSENT OBTA INED UNDER ITEM 10
108	108	(1) OR (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION IN THE PROVIDER’S PATIENT RECORDS. 11
109	109
110	110	(C) (1) A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER SHALL: 12
111	111
112	112	(I) USE HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE M ATERIAL FROM A DONOR 13
113	113	WITH THE RECIPIENT’S INFORMED CONSENT TO USE THA T DONOR’S REPRODUCTIVE 14
114	114	MATERIAL DURING ASSI STED REPRODUCTI VE TREATMENT ; 15
115	115
116	116	(II) USE A DONOR ’S HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL FOR 16
117	117	ASSISTED REPRODUCTIV E TREATMENT : 17
118	118
119	119	1. WITH THE DONOR ’S INFORMED CONSENT; AND 18
120	120
121	121	2. IN A MANNER THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE 19
122	122	DONOR’S INFORMED CONSENT; 20
123	123
124	124	(III) INFORM THE RECIPIENT OF ANY MISUSE , 21
125	125	MISREPRESENTATION , OR ERROR INVOLVING T HE REPRODUCTIVE MATE RIAL USED 22
126	126	IN THE ASSISTED REPR ODUCTIVE TREATMENT ; AND 23
127	127
128	128	(IV) REPORT MISUSE , MISREPRESENTATION , OR ERROR 24
129	129	INVOLVING THE REPROD UCTIVE MATERIAL USED IN THE ASSISTED REPR ODUCTIVE 25
130	130	TREATMENT TO THE HEALTH CA RE PROVIDER’S LICENSING BOARD . 26
131	131
132	132	(2) A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER MAY NOT: 27
133	133
134	134	(I) INTENTIONALLY OR KNOWINGLY PROVIDE ASSISTED 28
135	135	REPRODUCTIVE TREATME NT TO A PATIENT USIN G THE HEALTH CARE PR OVIDER’S 29
136	136	SPERM OR OVUM WITHOU T THE PATIENT ’S INFORMED CONSENT TO ASSISTED 30 4 HOUSE BILL 95
137	137
138	138
139	139	REPRODUCTIVE TREATME NT USING THE HEALTH CARE PROVIDER ’S SPERM OR 1
140	140	OVUM; OR 2
141	141
142	142	(II) PROVIDE ASSISTED REPRODUCTIV E TREATMENT USING A 3
143	143	DONOR’S SPERM OR OVUM IF THE HEALTH CARE P ROVIDER KNOWS OR REASONABLY 4
144	144	SHOULD KNOW THAT THE HUMAN REPRODU CTIVE MATERIAL WAS U SED: 5
145	145
146	146	1. WITHOUT THE DONOR’S CONSENT; OR 6
147	147
148	148	2. IN A MANNER INCONSISTENT WITH THE DONOR ’S 7
149	149	CONSENT. 8
150	150
151	151	(3) A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER OR AN EMPLOYEE OF A HEALTH CARE 9
152	152	PROVIDER WHO HANDLES HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE M ATERIAL MAY NOT : 10
153	153
154	154	(I) MISREPRESENT THE QUAL ITY OF THE HUMAN 11
155	155	REPRODUCTIVE MATERIA L TO THE RECIPIENT OF AN ASSISTED REPRODUCTIV E 12
156	156	TREATMENT ; OR 13
157	157
158	158	(II) MISREPRESENT ANY INFO RMATION ABOUT THE DO NOR’S 14
159	159	IDENTITY, GENETIC CHARACTERIST ICS, OR MEDICAL HISTORY T O THE RECIPIENT 15
160	160	OF AN ASSISTED REPRODUCTIV E TREATMENT . 16
161	161
162	162	(D) (1) A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER WHO VIOLATES SUBSECTION (C)(2)(I) 17
163	163	OF THIS SECTION IS LIABLE FOR CIVIL DAMAGES IN AN ACTION BROUGHT BY: 18
164	164
165	165	(I) THE WOMAN WHO GIVES B IRTH TO A CHILD AFTER 19
166	166	RECEIVING THE ASSISTED REPRODU CTIVE TREATMENT ; 20
167	167
168	168	(II) THE SPOUSE OR DOMESTIC PARTNER OF THE WOMAN WHO 21
169	169	GIVES BIRTH TO A CHI LD AFTER RECEIVING THE ASSISTED REPRODUCT IVE 22
170	170	TREATMENT ; OR 23
171	171
172	172	(III) THE CHILD BORN AS A R ESULT OF THE ASSISTED 24
173	173	REPRODUCTI VE TREATMENT . 25
174	174
175	175	(2) A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER WHO VIOLATES SUBSECT ION (C)(2)(II) 26
176	176	OF THIS SECTION IS L IABLE FOR CIVIL DAMA GES IN AN ACTION BRO UGHT BY A 27
177	177	DONOR WHOS E REPRODUCTIVE MATERIA L WAS USED BY THE HE ALTH CARE 28
178	178	PROVIDER FOR ASSISTI VE REPRODUCTIVE TREA TMENT WITHOUT THE DO NOR’S 29
179	179	CONSENT OR NOT IN CO MPLIANCE WITH THE DO NOR’S CONSENT. 30
180	180	HOUSE BILL 95 5
181	181
182	182
183	183	(3) AN INDIVIDUAL WHO BRINGS AN ACTION UNDER THIS SECTION 1
184	184	MAY ASSERT A SEPARATE CA USE OF ACTION: 2
185	185
186	186	(I) FOR A VIOLATION OF SU BSECTION (C)(2)(I) OF THIS 3
187	187	SECTION, FOR EACH CHILD BORN AS TH E RESULT OF THE ASSISTED REPRODUCT IVE 4
188	188	TREATMENT ; AND 5
189	189
190	190	(II) FOR A VIOLATION OF SU BSECTION (C)(2)(II) OF THIS 6
191	191	SECTION, FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL WHO R ECEIVED ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE 7
192	192	TREATMENT WITH THE DONOR ’S HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL. 8
193	193
194	194	(4) A CHILD BORN AS A RESU LT OF ASSISTED REPRODUCTIV E 9
195	195	TREATMENT PROVIDED B Y A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER IN VIOLATION OF 10
196	196	SUBSECTION (C)(2)(I) OF THIS SECTION IS ENTITLED TO A QUALIF IED PROTECTIVE 11
197	197	ORDER ALLOWING THE C HILD ACCESS TO THE P ERSONAL MEDICAL RECO RDS AND 12
198	198	HEALTH HISTORY OF TH E HEALTH CARE PROVID ER. 13
199	199
200	200	(5) A CIVIL ACTION UNDER T HIS SECTION SHALL BE FILED: 14
201	201
202	202	(I) WITHIN 10 YEARS AFTER THE CHILD BORN AS A RESULT OF 15
203	203	THE ASSISTED REPRODU CTIVE TREATMENT REACHES THE AGE OF 18 YEARS; 16
204	204
205	205	(II) WITHIN 20 YEARS AFTER THE DAY ON WHICH THE ASSISTED 17
206	206	REPRODUCTI VE TREATMENT WAS PROVIDED; OR 18
207	207
208	208	(III) WITHIN 2 YEARS AFTER THE DAY ON WHICH AN INDIVIDUAL 19
209	209	FIRST DISCOVERS SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE THROUGH DNA ANALYSIS THAT THE 20
210	210	INDIVIDUAL HAS A CAU SE OF ACTION AGAINST A HEALTH CARE PROVID ER UNDER 21
211	211	THIS SECTION. 22
212	212
213	213	(6) A PLAINTIFF WHO PREVAI LS IN AN ACTION BROU GHT UNDER THIS 23
214	214	SECTION SHALL BE ENT ITLED TO: 24
215	215
216	216	(I) FOR AN ACTION BROUGHT UNDER SUBSECTION (C)(2)(I) OF 25
217	217	THIS SECTION, THE COSTS OF THE ASSISTED REPRODUCTIV E TREATMENT ; 26
218	218
219	219	(II) LIQUIDATED DAMAGES NO T TO EXCEED $50,000; 27
220	220
221	221	(III) COMPENSATORY DAMAGES ; AND 28
222	222
223	223	(IV) REASONABLE ATTORNEY ’S FEES AND COSTS. 29
224	224	6 HOUSE BILL 95
225	225
226	226
227	227	(E) (1) A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER MAY NOT INTENTIONALL Y OR 1
228	228	KNOWINGLY PROVIDE AS SISTED REPRODUCTIVE TREATMENT TO A PATIE NT USING 2
229	229	THE HEALTH CARE PROV IDER’S SPERMATOZOON OR OV UM WITHOUT THE PATIE NT’S 3
230	230	INFORMED CONSENT TO ASSISTED REPRODUCTIV E TREATMENT USING THE HEALTH 4
231	231	CARE PROVIDER ’S SPERMATOZOON OR OV UM. 5
232	232
233	233	(2) A PERSON WHO VIOLATES PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION 6
234	234	IS GUILTY OF A FELONY AND ON CONVIC TION IS SUBJECT TO I MPRISONMENT NOT 7
235	235	EXCEEDING 10 YEARS OR A FINE NOT EXCEEDING $5,000 OR BOTH. 8
236	236
237	237	(F) THIS SECTION MAY NOT BE CONSTRUED TO PROH IBIT A PERSON FROM 9
238	238	PURSUING ANY OTHER R EMEDY PROVIDED BY LA W. 10
239	239
240	240	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 11
241	241	October 1, 2025. 12