June 20, 2019 at 8:03 p.m.
Lawmakers punt on commercial surrogacy
Lawmakers punt on commercial surrogacy
The proposed bill (A.1071-B/S.2071-A.), which would have legalized surrogate motherhood in the state, failed to gain traction in the State Assembly as the legislative session was coming to an end.
“Since Governor (Andrew) Cuomo first raised the Child-Parent Security Act as an end-of-session priority, the Assembly has had numerous conversations and heard from advocates on all sides of this issue,” said Carl E. Heastie, assembly speaker. “While there are strong feelings about surrogacy on all sides, I want to make it clear that no single member is in a position to stop this or any bill. Many members, including a large majority of women in our conference, have raised important concerns that must be properly addressed before we can move forward.
“We must ensure that the health and welfare of women who enter into these arrangements are protected, and that reproductive surrogacy does not become commercialized. This requires careful thought. While our work for this session is nearly complete, I look forward to continuing this conversation in the coming months with our members and interested parties to develop a solution that works for everyone.”
Commercial surrogacy refers to any arrangement where the surrogate mother is compensated for her services and reimbursed for medical expenses while pregnant. New York is one of only three states, alongside Louisiana and Michigan, that currently bans commercial surrogacy outright. Last month, Gov. Cuomo had called for state lawmakers to approve the new bill while speaking at a LGBTQ fundraiser.
The Catholic Church has long stood against commercial surrogacy, saying that the process exploits vulnerable and low income women and pays a price human life.
“We are grateful to the Catholic faithful who contacted their elected representatives with their concerns about the issue, and we are thankful that a large majority of Democratic Assemblywomen raised concerns as well,” said Kathleen Gallagher, Director of Pro-Life Activities for the New York State Catholic Conference.
“By not taking up the legislation now, the Assembly has basically punted the issue to next year. We have our work cut out for us in terms of educating people about the potential harms of commercial surrogacy to women and children, and mobilizing people to take action.”
Commercial surrogacy has been a controversial topic for decades. Advocates for its legalization argue that the procedure would be safer if regulated, and the new bill allows for surrogate mothers to receive compensation for their time while pregnant.
Those opposed - which includes many feminist groups, including feminist icon Gloria Steinem - argue that monetary compensation would pressure low-income women into becoming surrogates for cash, and objectifies women and their children as products to be bought and sold.
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