Australia passes new laws to regulate assisted reproductive providers

Queensland Health will have the authority to deal with non-compliance and adverse events.

Australia has passed new laws regulating the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) industry in Queensland.

Queensland Health will have the authority to inspect ART provider facilities, impose license conditions, issue improvement notices, suspend or cancel licences, seize property, and prohibit non-compliant providers from offering such services.

The legislation will also prohibit sex selection, use of gametes from closely related donors, and ART treatment on children, except in limited circumstances.

Moreover, it will limit the number of families who may use a particular donor to 10, bringing Queensland in line with other jurisdictions, such as Victoria, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory.

Meanwhile, a $5.3m (A$7.9m) register will be established to provide donor-conceived people with information about their genetic origins.

According to the government, the restrictions seek to find a balance between protecting donor-conceive people from having numerous genetic siblings, whilst not unreasonably restricting the supply of donor sperm.

A$1 = $0.67