22: Appendix A - Uniform Parentage Act Article 8

SECTION 801. DEFINITIONS. In this [article]:

(1) “Genetic surrogate” means a woman who is not an intended parent and who agrees to become pregnant through assisted reproduction using her own gamete, under a genetic surrogacy agreement as provided in this [article].

(2) “Gestational surrogate” means a woman who is not an intended parent and who agrees to become pregnant through assisted reproduction using gametes that are not her own, under a gestational surrogacy agreement as provided in this [article].

(3) “Surrogacy agreement” means an agreement between one or more intended parents and a woman who is not an intended parent in which the woman agrees to become pregnant through assisted reproduction and which provides that each intended parent is a parent of a child conceived under the agreement. Unless otherwise specified, the term refers to both a gestational surrogacy agreement and a genetic surrogacy agreement.

SECTION 802. ELIGIBILITY TO ENTER GESTATIONAL OR GENETIC SURROGACY AGREEMENT

(a) To execute an agreement to act as a gestational or genetic surrogate, a woman must:

(1) have attained 21 years of age;

(2) previously have given birth to at least one child;

(3) complete a medical evaluation related to the surrogacy arrangement by a licensed medical doctor;

(4) complete a mental-health consultation by a licensed mental-health professional; and

(5) have independent legal representation of her choice throughout the surrogacy arrangement regarding the terms of the surrogacy agreement and the potential legal consequences of the agreement.

(b) To execute a surrogacy agreement, each intended parent, whether or not genetically related to the child, must:

(1) have attained 21 years of age;

(2) complete a medical evaluation related to the surrogacy arrangement by a licensed medical doctor;

(3) complete a mental-health consultation by a licensed mental health professional; and

(4) have independent legal representation of the intended parent’s choice throughout the surrogacy arrangement regarding the terms of the surrogacy agreement and the potential legal consequences of the agreement.

SECTION 803. REQUIREMENTS OF GESTATIONAL OR GENETIC SURROGACY AGREEMENT: PROCESS

A surrogacy agreement must be executed in compliance with the following rules:

(1) At least one party must be a resident of this state or, if no party is a resident of this state, at least one medical evaluation or procedure or mental-health consultation under the agreement must occur in this state.

(2) A surrogate and each intended parent must meet the requirements of Section 802.

(3) Each intended parent, the surrogate, and the surrogate’s spouse, if any, must be parties to the agreement.

(4) The agreement must be in a record signed by each party listed in paragraph (3).

(5) The surrogate and each intended parent must acknowledge in a record receipt of a copy of the agreement.

(6) The signature of each party to the agreement must be attested by a notarial officer or witnessed.

(7) The surrogate and the intended parent or parents must have independent legal representation throughout the surrogacy arrangement regarding the terms of the surrogacy agreement and the potential legal consequences of the agreement, and each counsel must be identified in the surrogacy agreement.

(8) The intended parent or parents must pay for independent legal representation for the surrogate.

(9) The agreement must be executed before a medical procedure occurs related to the surrogacy agreement, other than the medical evaluation and mental health consultation required by Section 802.

SECTION 804. REQUIREMENTS OF GESTATIONAL OR GENETIC SURROGACY AGREEMENT: CONTENT

(a) A surrogacy agreement must comply with the following requirements:

(1) A surrogate agrees to attempt to become pregnant by means of assisted reproduction.

(2) Except as otherwise provided in Sections 811, 814, and 815, the surrogate and the surrogate’s spouse or former spouse, if any, have no claim to parentage of a child conceived by assisted reproduction under the agreement.

(3) The surrogate’s spouse, if any, must acknowledge and agree to comply with the obligations imposed on the surrogate by the agreement.

(4) Except as otherwise provided in Sections 811, 814, and 815, the intended parent or, if there are two intended parents, each one jointly and severally, immediately on birth will be the exclusive parent or parents of the child, regardless of number of children born or gender or mental or physical condition of each child.

(5) Except as otherwise provided in Sections 811, 814, and 815, the intended parent or, if there are two intended parents, each parent jointly and severally, immediately on birth will assume responsibility for the financial support of the child, regardless of number of children born or gender or mental or physical condition of each child.

(6) The agreement must include information disclosing how each intended parent will cover the surrogacy-related expenses of the surrogate and the medical expenses of the child. If health-care coverage is used to cover the medical expenses, the disclosure must include a summary of the health-care policy provisions related to coverage for surrogate pregnancy, including any possible liability of the surrogate, third-party-liability liens, other insurance coverage, and any notice requirement that could affect coverage or liability of the surrogate. Unless the agreement expressly provides otherwise, the review and disclosure do not constitute legal advice. If the extent of coverage is uncertain, a statement of that fact is sufficient to comply with this paragraph.

(7) The agreement must permit the surrogate to make all health and welfare decisions regarding herself and her pregnancy. This [act] does not enlarge or diminish the surrogate’s right to terminate her pregnancy.

(8) The agreement must include information about each party’s right under this [article] to terminate the surrogacy agreement.

(b) A surrogacy agreement may provide for:

(1) payment of consideration and reasonable expenses; and

(2) reimbursement of specific expenses if the agreement is terminated under this [article].

(c) A right created under a surrogacy agreement is not assignable and there is no third-party beneficiary of the agreement other than the child.

SECTION 805. SURROGACY AGREEMENT: EFFECT OF SUBSEQUENT CHANGE OF MARITAL STATUS

(a) Unless a surrogacy agreement expressly provides otherwise:

(1) the marriage of a surrogate after the agreement is signed by all parties does not affect the validity of the agreement, her spouse’s consent to the agreement is not required, and her spouse is not a presumed parent of a child conceived by assisted reproduction under the agreement; and

(2) the [divorce, dissolution, annulment, declaration of invalidity, legal separation, or separate maintenance] of the surrogate after the agreement is signed by all parties does not affect the validity of the agreement.

(b) Unless a surrogacy agreement expressly provides otherwise:

(1) the marriage of an intended parent after the agreement is signed by all parties does not affect the validity of a surrogacy agreement, the consent of the spouse of the intended parent is not required, and the spouse of the intended parent is not, based on the agreement, a parent of a child conceived by assisted reproduction under the agreement; and

(2) the [divorce, dissolution, annulment, declaration of invalidity, legal separation, or separate maintenance] of an intended parent after the agreement is signed by all parties does not affect the validity of the agreement and, except as otherwise provided in Section 814, the intended parents are the parents of the child.

Legislative Note: A state should use its own terms for the proceedings identified in the bracketed language in subsections (a)(2) and (b)(2).

SECTION 806. INSPECTION OF DOCUMENTS

Unless the court orders otherwise, a petition and any other document related to a surrogacy agreement filed with the court under this [part] are not open to inspection by any individual other than the parties to the proceeding, a child conceived by assisted reproduction under the agreement, their attorneys, and [the relevant state agency]. A court may not authorize an individual to inspect a document related to the agreement, unless required by exigent circumstances. The individual seeking to inspect the document may be required to pay the expense of preparing a copy of the document to be inspected.]

Legislative Note: A state should review the state’s open records law to determine if this section needs to be included or amended.

SECTION 807. EXCLUSIVE, CONTINUING JURISDICTION.

During the period after the execution of a surrogacy agreement until 90 days after the birth of a child conceived by assisted reproduction under the agreement, a court of this state conducting a proceeding under this [act] has exclusive, continuing jurisdiction over all matters arising out of the agreement. This section does not give the court jurisdiction over a child-custody or child-support proceeding if jurisdiction is not otherwise authorized by law of this state other than this [act].

SECTION 808. TERMINATION OF GESTATIONAL SURROGACY AGREEMENT

(a) A party to a gestational surrogacy agreement may terminate the agreement, at any time before an embryo transfer, by giving notice of termination in a record to all other parties. If an embryo transfer does not result in a pregnancy, a party may terminate the agreement at any time before a subsequent embryo transfer.

(b) Unless a gestational surrogacy agreement provides otherwise, on termination of the agreement under subsection (a), the parties are released from the agreement, except that each intended parent remains responsible for expenses that are reimbursable under the agreement and incurred by the gestational surrogate through the date of termination.

(c) Except in a case involving fraud, neither a gestational surrogate nor the surrogate’s spouse or former spouse, if any, is liable to the intended parent or parents for a penalty or liquidated damages, for terminating a gestational surrogacy agreement under this section.

SECTIONAL 809. PARENTAGE UNDER GESTATIONAL SURROGACY AGREEMENT

(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (c) or Section 810(b) or 812, on birth of a child conceived by assisted reproduction under a gestational surrogacy agreement, each intended parent is, by operation of law, a parent of the child.

(b) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (c) or Section 812, neither a gestational surrogate nor the surrogate’s spouse or former spouse, if any, is a parent of the child.

(c) If a child is alleged to be a genetic child of the woman who agreed to be a gestational surrogate, the court shall order genetic testing of the child. If the child is a genetic child of the woman who agreed to be a gestational surrogate, parentage must be determined based on [Articles] 1 through 6.

(d) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (c) or Section 810(b) or 812, if, due to a clinical or laboratory error, a child conceived by assisted reproduction under a gestational surrogacy agreement is not genetically related to an intended parent or a donor who donated to the intended parent or parents, each intended parent, and not the gestational surrogate and the surrogate’s spouse or former spouse, if any, is a parent of the child, subject to any other claim of parentage.

SECTION 810. GESTATIONAL SURROGACY AGREEMENT: PARENTAGE OF DECEASED INTENDED PARENT

(a) Section 809 applies to an intended parent even if the intended parent died during the period between the transfer of a gamete or embryo and the birth of the child.

(b) Except as otherwise provided in Section 812, an intended parent is not a parent of a child conceived by assisted reproduction under a gestational surrogacy agreement if the intended parent dies before the transfer of a gamete or embryo unless:

(1) the agreement provides otherwise; and

(2) the transfer of a gamete or embryo occurs not later than [36] months after the death of the intended parent or birth of the child occurs not later than [45] months after the death of the intended parent.

SECTION 811. GESTATIONAL SURROGACY AGREEMENT: ORDER OF PARENTAGE

(a) Except as otherwise provided in Sections 809(c) or 812, before, on, or after the birth of a child conceived by assisted reproduction under a gestational surrogacy agreement, a party to the agreement may commence a proceeding in the [appropriate court] for an order or judgment:

(1) declaring that each intended parent is a parent of the child and ordering that parental rights and duties vest immediately on the birth of the child exclusively in each intended parent;

(2) declaring that the gestational surrogate and the surrogate’s spouse or former spouse, if any, are not the parents of the child;

(3) designating the content of the birth record in accordance with [cite applicable law of this state other than this [act]] and directing the [state agency maintaining birth records] to designate each intended parent as a parent of the child;

(4) to protect the privacy of the child and the parties, declaring that the court record is not open to inspection[ except as authorized under Section 806];

(5) if necessary, that the child be surrendered to the intended parent or parents; and

(6) for other relief the court determines necessary and proper.

(b) The court may issue an order or judgment under subsection (a) before the birth of the child. The court shall stay enforcement of the order or judgment until the birth of the child.

(c) Neither this state nor the [state agency maintaining birth records] is a necessary party to a proceeding under subsection (a).

Legislative Note: A state should include the bracketed language in subsection (a)(4) if the state enacts Section 806.

SECTION 812. EFFECT OF GESTATIONAL SURROGACY AGREEMENT

(a) A gestational surrogacy agreement that complies with Sections 802, 803, and 804 is enforceable.

(b) If a child was conceived by assisted reproduction under a gestational surrogacy agreement that does not comply with Sections 802, 803, and 804, the court shall determine the rights and duties of the parties to the agreement consistent with the intent of the parties at the time of execution of the agreement. Each party to the agreement and any individual who at the time of the execution of the agreement was a spouse of a party to the agreement has standing to maintain a proceeding to adjudicate an issue related to the enforcement of the agreement.

(c) Except as expressly provided in a gestational surrogacy agreement or subsection (d) or (e), if the agreement is breached by the gestational surrogate or one or more intended parents, the non-breaching party is entitled to the remedies available at law or in equity.

(d) Specific performance is not a remedy available for breach by a gestational surrogate of a provision in the agreement that the gestational surrogate be impregnated, terminate or not terminate a pregnancy, or submit to medical procedures.

(e) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (d), if an intended parent is determined to be a parent of the child, specific performance is a remedy available for:

(1) breach of the agreement by a gestational surrogate which prevents the intended parent from exercising immediately on birth of the child the full rights of parentage; or

(2) breach by the intended parent which prevents the intended parent’s acceptance, immediately on birth of the child conceived by assisted reproduction under the agreement, of the duties of parentage.

SECTION 813. REQUIREMENTS TO VALIDATE GENETIC SURROGACY AGREEMENT

(a) Except as otherwise provided in Section 816, to be enforceable, a genetic surrogacy agreement must be validated by the [designate court]. A proceeding to validate the agreement must be commenced before assisted reproduction related to the surrogacy agreement.

(b) The court shall issue an order validating a genetic surrogacy agreement if the court finds that:

(1) Sections 802, 803, and 804 are satisfied; and

(2) all parties entered into the agreement voluntarily and understand its terms.

(c) An individual who terminates under Section 814 a genetic surrogacy agreement shall file notice of the termination with the court. On receipt of the notice, the court shall vacate any order issued under subsection (b). An individual who does not notify the court of the termination of the agreement is subject to sanctions.

SECTION 814. TERMINATION OF GENETIC SURROGACY AGREEMENT

(a) A party to a genetic surrogacy agreement may terminate the agreement as follows:

(1) An intended parent who is a party to the agreement may terminate the agreement at any time before a gamete or embryo transfer by giving notice of termination in a record to all other parties. If a gamete or embryo transfer does not result in a pregnancy, a party may terminate the agreement at any time before a subsequent gamete or embryo transfer. The notice of termination must be attested by a notarial officer or witnessed.

(2) A genetic surrogate who is a party to the agreement may withdraw consent to the agreement any time before 72 hours after the birth of a child conceived by assisted reproduction under the agreement. To withdraw consent, the genetic surrogate must execute a notice of termination in a record stating the surrogate’s intent to terminate the agreement. The notice of termination must be attested by a notarial officer or witnessed and be delivered to each intended parent any time before 72 hours after the birth of the child.

(b) On termination of the genetic surrogacy agreement under subsection (a), the parties are released from all obligations under the agreement except that each intended parent remains responsible for all expenses incurred by the surrogate through the date of termination which are reimbursable under the agreement. Unless the agreement provides otherwise, the surrogate is not entitled to any non-expense related compensation paid for serving as a surrogate.

(c) Except in a case involving fraud, neither a genetic surrogate nor the surrogate’s spouse or former spouse, if any, is liable to the intended parent or parents for a penalty or liquidated damages, for terminating a genetic surrogacy agreement under this section.

SECTION 815. PARENTAGE UNDER VALIDATED GENETIC SURROGACY AGREEMENT

(a) Unless a genetic surrogate exercises the right under Section 814 to terminate a genetic surrogacy agreement, each intended parent is a parent of a child conceived by assisted reproduction under an agreement validated under Section 813.

(b) Unless a genetic surrogate exercises the right under Section 814 to terminate the genetic surrogacy agreement, on proof of a court order issued under Section 813 validating the agreement, the court shall make an order:

(1) declaring that each intended parent is a parent of a child conceived by assisted reproduction under the agreement and ordering that parental rights and duties vest exclusively in each intended parent;

(2) declaring that the genetic surrogate and the surrogate’s spouse or former spouse, if any, are not parents of the child;

(3) designating the contents of the birth certificate in accordance with [cite to applicable law of the state other than this [act]] and directing the [state agency maintaining birth records] to designate each intended parent as a parent of the child;

(4) to protect the privacy of the child and the parties, declaring that the court record is not open to inspection[ except as authorized under Section 806];

(5) if necessary, that the child be surrendered to the intended parent or parents; and

(6) for other relief the court determines necessary and proper.

(c) If a genetic surrogate terminates under Section 814(a)(2) a genetic surrogacy agreement, parentage of the child conceived by assisted reproduction under the agreement must be determined under [Articles] 1 through 6.

(d) If a child born to a genetic surrogate is alleged not to have been conceived by assisted reproduction, the court shall order genetic testing to determine the genetic parentage of the child. If the child was not conceived by assisted reproduction, parentage must be determined under [Articles] 1 through 6. Unless the genetic surrogacy agreement provides otherwise, if the child was not conceived by assisted reproduction the surrogate is not entitled to any non-expense related compensation paid for serving as a surrogate.

(e) Unless a genetic surrogate exercises the right under Section 814 to terminate the genetic surrogacy agreement, if an intended parent fails to file notice required under Section 814(a), the genetic surrogate or [the appropriate state agency] may file with the court, not later than 60 days after the birth of a child conceived by assisted reproduction under the agreement, notice that the child has been born to the genetic surrogate. Unless the genetic surrogate has properly exercised the right under Section 814 to withdraw consent to the agreement, on proof of a court order issued under Section 813 validating the agreement, the court shall order that each intended parent is a parent of the child.

Legislative Note: A state should include the bracketed language in subsection (b)(4) if the state enacts Section 806.

SECTION 816. EFFECT OF NONVALIDATED GENETIC SURROGACY AGREEMENT

(a) A genetic surrogacy agreement, whether or not in a record, that is not validated under Section 813 is enforceable only to the extent provided in this section and Section 818.

(b) If all parties agree, a court may validate a genetic surrogacy agreement after assisted reproduction has occurred but before the birth of a child conceived by assisted reproduction under the agreement.

(c) If a child conceived by assisted reproduction under a genetic surrogacy agreement that is not validated under Section 813 is born and the genetic surrogate, consistent with Section 814(a)(2), withdraws her consent to the agreement before 72 hours after the birth of the child, the court shall adjudicate the parentage of the child under [Articles] 1 through 6.

(d) If a child conceived by assisted reproduction under a genetic surrogacy agreement that is not validated under Section 813 is born and a genetic surrogate does not withdraw her consent to the agreement, consistent with Section 814(a)(2), before 72 hours after the birth of the child, the genetic surrogate is not automatically a parent and the court shall adjudicate parentage of the child based on the best interest of the child, taking into account the factors in Section 613(a) and the intent of the parties at the time of the execution of the agreement.

(e) The parties to a genetic surrogacy agreement have standing to maintain a proceeding to adjudicate parentage under this section.

SECTION 817. GENETIC SURROGACY AGREEMENT: PARENTAGE OF DECEASED INTENDED PARENT

(a) Except as otherwise provided in Section 815 or 816, on birth of a child conceived by assisted reproduction under a genetic surrogacy agreement, each intended parent is, by operation of law, a parent of the child, notwithstanding the death of an intended parent during the period between the transfer of a gamete or embryo and the birth of the child.

(b) Except as otherwise provided in Section 815 or 816, an intended parent is not a parent of a child conceived by assisted reproduction under a genetic surrogacy agreement if the intended parent dies before the transfer of a gamete or embryo unless:

(1) the agreement provides otherwise; and

(2) the transfer of the gamete or embryo occurs not later than [36] months after the death of the intended parent, or birth of the child occurs not later than [45] months after the death of the intended parent.

SECTION 818. BREACH OF GENETIC SURROGACY AGREEMENT

(a) Subject to Section 814(b), if a genetic surrogacy agreement is breached by a genetic surrogate or one or more intended parents, the non-breaching party is entitled to the remedies available at law or in equity.

(b) Specific performance is not a remedy available for breach by a genetic surrogate of a requirement of a validated or non-validated genetic surrogacy agreement that the surrogate be impregnated, terminate or not terminate a pregnancy, or submit to medical procedures.

(c) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b), specific performance is a remedy available for:

(1) breach of a validated genetic surrogacy agreement by a genetic surrogate of a requirement which prevents an intended parent from exercising the full rights of parentage 72 hours after the birth of the child; or

(2) breach by an intended parent which prevents the intended parent’s acceptance of duties of parentage 72 hours after the birth of the child.]