On Monday Rep. Cindy Crawford (R – Fort Smith) filed H.B. 1441 to address commercial egg harvesting in Arkansas.
This good bill restricts the buying and selling of human eggs.
Currently, Arkansas law contains no specific protections for egg donors.
State law does not prohibit companies from coercing young women to sell their eggs or paying large sums of money to harvest unfertilized human eggs.
State law does not ensure women are informed of the health risks associated with egg harvesting.
H.B. 1441 addresses these problems.
The bill prohibits companies and individuals from paying women for their eggs, but it permits altruistic egg donations.
It prohibits companies and individuals from advertising compensation for human eggs to prospective egg providers.
It requires human eggs to be harvested by a physician in a hospital, clinic, or other medical facility that meets Arkansas Department of Health licensing standards.
Egg harvesting requires hormone treatments that carry serious health risks. H.B. 1441 requires individuals or companies that harvest eggs to give the woman important information regarding the procedure, including a summary of drug or hormone treatments involved.
