The proposed bill, known as the "Fertility Clinic Licensure Act," aims to establish a regulatory framework for fertility clinics in Arkansas. It introduces a definition for "fertility clinic" as a medical facility or healthcare professional that collects or preserves human embryos for creation or placement into patients. The bill mandates that any medical facility providing in vitro fertilization must obtain a separate license as a fertility clinic. Additionally, it sets an annual licensing fee of $1,000 for fertility clinics, aligning them with other healthcare institutions.

Furthermore, the bill outlines reporting requirements for fertility clinics, necessitating them to submit non-personally identifiable data to the Department of Health, which will also compile and publish an annual report on licensed fertility clinics and the data collected. Violations of the reporting requirements could result in a fine of $50,000. The Department of Health is tasked with creating rules to implement the provisions of this new subchapter dedicated to fertility clinics.

Statutes affected:
HB 1795: 20-9-201, 20-9-213, 20-9-214(b)