Here's what N.J.'s new surrogacy law means for couples and women willing to give birth to their child

New Jersey state law caught up to medical science Wednesday, when Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill that provides legal protection to New Jersey couples struggling with infertility and sign a contract with a woman willing to carry their child.

The New Jersey Gestational Carrier Act clarifies the law as it applies to women who, unlike surrogates, have no biological link to the fetus because the egg belongs to another woman.

A woman who wishes to be a gestational carrier must be at least 21 years old, have given birth to at least one child, completed medical and psychological evaluations and retained an attorney independent of the intended parent or parents, but who may pay the expenses, according to the legislation, (S482) The intended parents must also have undergone a psychological exam.

The agreement signed by the two parties allows the gestational carrier to choose her own medical care for the pregnancy, labor, delivery and postpartum care. The intended parents would be permitted to pay for the medical care, as well as living expenses, according to the...