Late last year, in reaction to recent incendiary industry scandals and calls to modernize California statutes relating to third party reproduction, Governor Jerry Brown signed California Assembly Bill 1217, which became operative January 1, 2013, as California Family Code Sections 7960 et seq. Efforts to codify California law have been ongoing for two decades without success. Led by the lobbying efforts of Bill Handel, Karen Synesiou and the Center for Surrogate Parenting, California Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes championed this cause and California now has the most progressive surrogacy laws found anywhere in the world.
When we drafted the initial version of the bill, our goal was to ensure that adequate protections were established to safeguard Intended Parents, Surrogates and any resulting children. Equally important to us was that any new legislation be non-discriminatory and recognize the rights of all prospective parents, without regard to marital status, sexual orientation or genetic connection to their child.
The bill contains a number of important safeguards designed to protect all parties involved in surrogacy arrangements, including requirements that both sides to a surrogacy arrangement...