Nevada Advances Bill to Void Contracts for Surrogate Parenthood Arrangements

The Assembly Judiciary Committee voted unanimously Friday for a bill voiding all surrogate parent contracts, although some lawmakers said strict regulation of the practice might be a better idea.

Judiciary Chairman Bob Sader (D-Reno) said the vote on the bill was “a question of what’s the lesser evil”--unregulated surrogacy contracts or an outright ban on the contracts.

“These types of situations are fraught with problems,” said Assemblyman Scott Scherer (R-Las Vegas). “It’s better to have a bright line (banning the contracts) than no line at all.”

Nevada currently has no law defining surrogate motherhood contracts. The bill under consideration, which now moves to the Assembly floor for debate, would make such contracts unenforceable in civil lawsuits.

The proposed law, which failed in the 1989 Legislature, would legally void all agreements related to “assisted conceptions,” including artificial insemination or embryo implants.

Sader said the law might have the added effect of making surrogacy criminally illegal as well, since Nevada has laws against selling children in the state.

“By passing this bill, we’re saying in Nevada you just can’t go out and rent a womb,” added Assemblywoman Dawn Gibbons (R-Reno).