February 10, 2015 – New Jersey Senate Passes Bill Expanding Definition of Surrogate Parenting

TRENTON – The New Jersey state senate passed a bill on February 5th that would allow intended parents to enter into an agreement with a “gestational carrier” to bear their child. A gestational carrier is a woman who has no genetic relation to the child she carries. This is different from a traditional surrogate who utilizes her own eggs to carry the child for another couple. A gestational carrier can carry the biological child of the intended parents, or she can carry a child that is biologically related to an egg donor and sperm donor for the intended parents.

The New Jersey bill would require that the gestational carrier be at least 21 years old and have undergone medical and psychological evaluations. Additionally, it would be required that she already have gone through at least one pregnancy in her life so that she knows what to expect emotionally and physically.

The agreement would state that the gestational carrier would undergo pre-embryo transfer, attempt to carry and give birth to the child, surrender custody of the child she carries for the intended parents to the intended parents immediately upon birth.

This is precisely the type of legislation Indiana needs to provide Indiana families an option to safely and securely enter into these types of gestational carrier agreements.