A new law has made New York surrogacy legal
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo made a big announcement. New York surrogacy is now legal! However, this gestational surrogacy law did more than make surrogacy arrangements legal in the state. It also established a Surrogates’ Bill of Rights, listed the requirements for gestational surrogacy agreements and simplified the second parent adoption process. All in all, it’s good news for hopeful parents who want to start or grow their family using surrogacy.
Our Las Vegas fertility clinic is here to explain what you need to know about this big change in New York law.
A brief history of New York surrogacy law
For years, New York was a bit of an outlier because its laws held that surrogacy was illegal. As a result, the courts wouldn’t enforce gestational surrogacy agreements. This made it more difficult for LGBTQ+ couples, single men and couples struggling with infertility to become parents.
Governor Cuomo called these laws “arbitrary and archaic.” He then said, “I couldn’t be prouder of the way New York came together to say we won’t stand for this any longer.”
Organizations from RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association to Men Having Babies praise the governor and the state for taking action to expand access to this important family-building option.
An overview of the state’s new gestational surrogacy law
As mentioned above, this law did more than make New York surrogacy legal. It also accomplished several other goals.
- Listed the requirements for a valid gestational surrogacy agreement, which are among the country’s strongest protections for surrogates and parents
- Established a Surrogates’ Bill of Rights, which allows surrogates to make their own healthcare decisions and receive access to comprehensive health insurance and independent legal counsel
- Streamlined the process of second parent adoption to establish parenthood for a non-biological parent
Our Las Vegas fertility clinic team believes this law is a huge step. It provide hopeful parents with another family-building option. Additionally, it protects surrogates and recognizes the right of LGBTQ+ people to have families.
If you have questions about welcoming a baby using gestational surrogacy, The Fertility Center of Las Vegas can help. Our reproductive specialists are experts in surrogacy and third party options, including treatments using donor eggs and donor sperm. Contact us to schedule an appointment to learn more about how we can help you get on your path to parenthood.
