Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed bills today to repeal Michigan’s 1988 ban on paid in vitro fertilization surrogate parenting contracts.
Democratic Representative Samantha Steckloff is one of the bill sponsors. She says IVF pregnancy is widely accepted, but the rights of parents, children and surrogates were not clear until now.
“In Oakland County it’s very different than in western Michigan, so it kind of depends on what judge you have. We even had a judge testify who said how difficult it is to make these rulings because there is no intended path and these bills create that.”
The new laws will allow automatic custody rights for couples that use a paid surrogate to carry a pregnancy. LGBTQ rights organizations were among those backing the legislation. That’s because it creates more options for couples who can’t conceive on their own to start a family.
