ATLANTA — As Georgia lawmakers advance legislation to safeguard in-vitro fertilization (IVF), a group of six female Republican legislators are now championing a new effort to protect another aspect of reproductive health care; access to birth control.

The lawmakers have introduced a one-page bill that would guarantee the right to all forms of contraception for women in Georgia. The proposal comes during the final days of the current legislative session but has already drawn strong support from key Republican leaders.

House Speaker Pro-Tem Jan Jones, a co-sponsor of the bill, said the message behind the legislation is clear. “Contraception is not up for grabs,” she said. “It’s very important to women all over Georgia and we stand with them.”

The bill is sponsored by Public Health Committee Chair Sharon Cooper, who emphasized that protecting contraceptive access is a natural progression following the legislative push to safeguard IVF. “Just like we needed to protect IVF, then I would say the next step would be to protect contraceptives,” Cooper said.

While time is running short in the current session, lawmakers say they are committed to passing the bill if not this year, then in the next.

The proposed legislation comes amid national debates over reproductive rights and legal uncertainty surrounding fetal personhood laws, which some fear could threaten access to both IVF and contraception.

Supporters say the bill aims to make access to birth control a clear priority in Georgia law. The bill is now sent over to Governor Kemp’s desk.

WSB’s Ashley Simmons contributed to this story