{"id":6043,"date":"2022-09-21T16:33:07","date_gmt":"2022-09-21T20:33:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/senatedems.com\/brinks\/?p=6043"},"modified":"2022-12-22T21:36:58","modified_gmt":"2022-12-22T21:36:58","slug":"democrats-working-to-update-surrogacy-laws-keep-families-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/senatedems.com\/brinks\/2022\/09\/21\/democrats-working-to-update-surrogacy-laws-keep-families-together\/","title":{"rendered":"Democrats Working to Update Surrogacy Laws, Keep Families Together"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

LANSING, Mich. (Sept. 21, 2022) \u2014 Today, Democratic Sens. Winnie Brinks<\/strong> (Grand Rapids) and Curtis Hertel, Jr.<\/strong> (East Lansing), along with House Reps. Samantha Steckloff<\/strong> (Farmington Hills) and Christine Morse<\/strong> (Texas Township), introduced legislation to update Michigan\u2019s outdated laws surrounding surrogacy in a manner more consistent with modern medicine and processes.

Enacted in 1988, Michigan\u2019s current Surrogate Parenting Act declares that any agreements involving surrogacy between the surrogate and the child\u2019s intended parents (even if they are the biological parents) are null, void, and unenforceable, leaving the parents no recourse other than to go before a judge and ask that they be made the legal parents or proceed with the traditional adoption process.

\u201cMichigan is one of the only states with a law so restrictive that it forces intended parents to adopt their own children born via surrogacy,\u201d Sen. Brinks<\/strong> said. \u201cIt is well past time that our laws reflect the advances in assisted reproductive technology that allow Michiganders to have the freedom of fulfilling their dreams of becoming parents and growing their families through surrogacy.\u201d

In early 2021, Kent County Family Court Judge Scott Noto dismissed a request to establish a West Michigan couple, Tammy and Jordan Myers, as legal parents of their biological twins who were born prematurely via a gestational surrogate<\/a>. \u201cWhat the parties essentially are asking this court to do is validate and enforce a (surrogacy) contract that the Michigan Legislature has expressly declared void and unenforceable as a matter of public policy,\u201d wrote Noto in an opinion and order.

This particular case brought to light the need for Michigan\u2019s surrogacy laws to be changed, which spurred the introduction of Senate Bills 1177-1180 and House Bills 6389-6392. Meanwhile, the Myers are still working through the court system to adopt their own biological twins who were born more than a year ago.

\u201cOur family has faced unnecessary and senseless trauma because of Michigan\u2019s outdated surrogacy laws,\u201d Tammy Myers<\/strong> said. \u201cThe news of this legislation gives us hope and confirms that our journey has not been meaningless. We are grateful for Senator Brinks\u2019 efforts, and we feel honored that she has included us in this process. It\u2019s time for a change that paves an easier path for families in the future.\u201d

Specifically, the legislation would:<\/p>\n\n\n\n