Why are there no surrogacy laws in Minnesota?

Who would oppose a family-building option that creates loving families in our communities?

This year, we have the opportunity to pass surrogacy legislation that would protect Minnesotans’ rights to have children via surrogacy when they may otherwise remain childless.  We ask for your support to pass this bill!

Surrogacy advocates, including IARC Surrogacy’s Director, Steve Snyder, have tried tirelessly for over 15 years to pass this type of legislation and to protect everyone’s right to procreate through the use of surrogacy arrangements.

Fortunately, despite the failure to pass this type of legislation to date, there have been no adverse outcomes or disputes related to surrogacy brought to Minnesota courts when the parties have followed the steps that the legislation would mandate.

This seems like overwhelming evidence that surrogacy has been a safe family-building option for the hundreds of Minnesota families who would not exist in our communities today if not for surrogacy.

This also seems like overwhelming evidence as to why legislation should be passed to mandate the requirements and controls that will ensure surrogacy stays available and safe to those who need surrogacy to have a family.

So why has it been so difficult to pass this legislation and who opposes it?  According to Mr. Snyder, “In the last few years, opponents have drafted and proposed legislation to essentially ban surrogacy as it is currently available in Minnesota.  A central issue in this debate is whether the women who desire to help those who cannot gestate their own child should be able to receive reasonable compensation for their very real time, effort, and health risks.”

We could not better articulate the reasons why it is so important for this legislation to be passed or the reasons why opponents are misdirected in their opposition to surrogacy, and compensated surrogacy in particular, than IARC Surrogate Sara did in an open letter to her lawmakers.  Sara is an example of the intelligence, compassion, and self-determined nature that defines our surrogate community in Minnesota.  You may read her full letter here.

As Sara points out in her letter, the Minnesota Catholic Conference states on their website that “the commercial surrogacy industry preys upon vulnerable women.”

Having had the privilege to work with hundreds of surrogates and intended parents over the past 25 years in Minnesota, we have the first-hand knowledge to say that this description has no basis in the reality of MN surrogacy.  Opponents to surrogacy, including the MCC, have yet to bring forth even one MN surrogate who meets this description.  MN surrogates are strong, intelligent, self-determined, caring, compassionate women in our communities – teachers, nurses, caregivers – if you start asking your friends and family, it wouldn’t take you long to find someone you know who has been positively impacted by surrogacy or knows someone who has.

Please write your legislators in support of The Gestational Carrier Act so this family-building option stays available and continues to add loving families to our communities!

We also ask our MN surrogacy community to please join us for Advocacy Day on Tuesday, March 12^th at the State Capitol to show our lawmakers what surrogacy in Minnesota is all about!

Register to attend here.

Post written by Keely Seaverson, Esq.