The bioethics bill, which opens medically assisted procreation (PMA) to all women, will be well examined at second reading in the Assembly from July 6, according to the decree convening the extraordinary session published this Tuesday in the Official Journal .
The text will be on the deputies' menu throughout this week of July 6. And in the Senate, the second reading examination should take place "from October," said Minister of Relations with Parliament Marc Fesneau, during the meeting of the conference of presidents of the Assembly, according to remarks reported. A scheduled legislative time of 25 hours has been set for the duration of the debates at the Palais Bourbon, which will actually last longer, because the interventions of the government and the rapporteurs of the text are not counted in this time.
Fear of delay due to health crisis
In addition to the flagship measure of the extension of the PMA to single women and couples of women, the bill, which had been adopted at first reading in the Assembly in October 2019 before being adopted but modified by the Senate in February 2020, includes a reform of parentage, a modification of access to origins for people born thanks to a sperm donation or even self-storage of oocytes.
At first reading, more than 2,500 amendments had been tabled and the text had been adopted after two and a half weeks of passionate discussion. Deputies within the majority were worried about a postponement until the start of the school year of the examination of this campaign promise by Emmanuel Macron, because of the major upheavals linked to the coronavirus crisis.
At the end of May, the chairman of the LREM group of deputies Gilles Le Gendre had deemed it "impossible" to adopt the text "before the summer", in particular because the chambers were working with reduced staff due to the health crisis. This restriction will be lifted from June 22 in the Assembly, with a return to the usual voting procedures, according to a parliamentary source. The boss of the "walkers" said he hoped that the text could be adopted "by the end of the quinquennium", causing a stir even in his camp and causing the intervention of the Minister of Health Olivier Véran.
Republicans in no rush to vote
Several LREM deputies and pro-LDC associations for all welcomed the consideration of the text in July at the Assembly. In opposition, the leader of the deputies LR Damien Abad judges on the contrary that there was no urgency to register this bill now ", whereas" that we already have a fractured society, and we know that this will lead to tensions ”. “Personally, I am not opposed to this text. I do not judge on the merits. But to examine it in July is simply a pledge given to the majority. Especially since the Senate will not meet before October "on this subject, continued Damien Abad, who had abstained at first reading.
Other bills have been placed on the agenda for the special session, which must continue until at least July 24. Among these, the text organizing the end of the state of health emergency whose examination at first reading will take place Wednesday, or the third amending finance bill. This text will arrive in the hemicycle on June 29, from a parliamentary source.
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