State lawmakers will take another look at passing a bill to mandate insurance coverage of infertility treatment for Minnesota residents.

This year marks the third year the Legislature will see a version of the “Minnesota Building Families Act.”

The bill proposes requiring comprehensive coverage of insurance costs for infertility diagnosis and treatment — including IVF — as well as insurance coverage for fertility services for cancer patients and others at risk of medically induced infertility. A total of 22 other states have already written fertility insurance coverage into law, according to the National Infertility Association.

While the bill has not been introduced yet, Sen. Erin Maye Quade, DFL-Apple Valley, said she will be bringing the measure forward this session.

“There are too many families in Minnesota who are mortgaging their houses and cashing in their 401(k)s, leaning on friends and families, or who don’t have the ability to do any of those things, and therefore, able to have the children that they want in this state, and we are going to change that,” she said. “There are going to be more children in Minnesota who are loved and wanted and cared for because of the work we are doing right here.”

One in six Minnesotans struggle with infertility, according to the National Infertility Association.

Supporters of the bill rallied at the Capitol on Tuesday organized by the Minnesota Building Families Coalition .

“We are one of the best states for raising a family. We need to be the best state for building our families,” said Meta Getman, with the coalition. “Let’s make sure that no one has to face the heartache and financial burden of infertility alone and be forced to decide that they cannot have a family because they don’t have the ability to try.”

Monica Meyer, political director with Gender Justice, spoke at the rally sharing the story of when she and her partner decided to start trying to get pregnant. Her partner was diagnosed with cancer and, after going into remission, was denied insurance coverage for fertility care.

“We are here because everyone deserves a chance to build a family, no matter their income, employer and who they love,” she said. “Right now, too many people are being denied access to the reproductive health care they need simply because insurance companies refuse to cover it.”

Maria Graham, with the Minnesota Building Families Coalition, said she never knew trying to have a baby would be so hard.

“My husband and I were fortunate enough to conceive our beautiful daughter through in vitro fertilization, also known as IVF, and there she is today,” Graham said. “But here’s the thing, our insurance didn’t cover infertility treatments. So what did we do? We took out a second mortgage, we drained our savings. We had to lean on our family and fundraise for us. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I need a bake sale to have a baby.”

Sen. Alice Mann, DFL-Edina, who is a practicing physician and has patients who face infertility, also spoke at the rally.

“There should not be cost barriers to getting the treatment for this or any other disease that we need treated,” she said. “So infertility, of course, is often a disease that is overlooked and is not thought of as an equal to other diseases.”