Compromise Surrogacy Bill Advances In Louisiana House

BATON ROUGE, La. – Lawmakers seeking to create a regulatory framework for surrogate births in Louisiana have reached a compromise with Christian conservatives who initially opposed the effort.
That support could help sway Gov. Bobby Jindal, who vetoed a similar bill last year.
Surrogacy is the arrangement when a woman carries a child to birth for another couple. State Rep. Joe Lopinto says he’s pushing the legislation to add restrictions to surrogate births that are taking place without guidelines on who can be a surrogate and the rights of parents.
The House civil law committee advanced the proposal to the House without objection Tuesday.
Leading social conservatives removed their objections after Lopinto agreed to prohibit compensation for the surrogate and add other limits.
The Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops remains opposed to the measure.