In 1988, legislators passed a law making paid surrogacy contracts illegal, meaning the woman who is carrying the child for someone else could not receive monetary compensation for the use of her body.
But Live Action News reports that the legislative package passed this week, which supporters call the "Michigan Family Protection Act," would repeal this 1988 law and ultimately open the door to exploitation.
"When you add a price tag to carrying a baby for somebody, it is almost exclusively the intended parents who are very wealthy and the surrogate who is usually vulnerable and poor, and they do it for the money, despite the risks to their own health and health of the child," comments Genevieve Marnon of Right to Life of Michigan.
"They're going to make Michigan the most surrogacy-friendly state in the union," she continues. "It will allow for surrogacy tourism. So, young women in the state of Michigan are going to unfortunately likely be preyed upon to be surrogates and egg donors."
There are some stipulations in place, including requirements that surrogates would have to have given birth to at least one child, be at least 21, have undergone medical and mental health evaluations, and have legal representation independent of the intended parents.
Marnon says another negative aspect of measures like House Bill 5207 is that surrogacy contracts that are legal and binding often contain abortion clauses.
"So, if the intended parent wants the surrogate to have an abortion, she has to do it or face a huge financial or legal consequence and that's a problem," the pro-lifer explains.
Another bill in the legislative package upends parenthood laws, meaning the terms "mother" and "father" will no longer appear on birth certificates. Instead, it will be "parent 1" and "parent 2." In fact, that will not be limited to just two people, which means a person who has no genetic relation to a child can be listed as his or her birth parent.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) has stated she would be delighted to see the bills on her desk to be signed into law.
