Louisiana is about to pass legislation governing surrogate parenting in Louisiana, which is a very overdue measure. we are excited that our neighbors to the east will soon have strong laws helping all their residents to surrogacy and creating their families!
BATON ROUGE — The Senate voted 22-11 Tuesday to create a new regulatory framework governing surrogacy births in Louisiana, moving the measure one step from final passage.
Louisiana law has few regulations governing surrogacy, the arrangement in which a woman carries and gives birth to a baby for another couple. The House-approved measure (House Bill 187) by Rep. Joe Lopinto, R-Metairie, would spell out who can be a surrogate and what legal rights the parents, the surrogate and the child have.
“This is going to bring some guidelines and some certainty,” said Sen. Gary Smith, D-Norco. “It’s going to allow the courts something to look to.”
But Sen. A.G. Crowe, R-Slidell, opposed the measure, saying it could encourage unmarried women to get pregnant.
Gov. Bobby Jindal vetoed a similar bill last year because of moral and ethical objections raised by social conservatives and religious leaders. But Lopinto has worked with the groups and has reached compromise language that removed many of the objections.
Here’s how local senators voted:
For: Sen. Bret Allain, R-Franklin; Troy Brown, D-Napoleonville; and Gary Smith, D-Norco.
Absent: Norby Chabert, R-Houma.
The bill moves back to the House for approval of Senate changes.
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