What This Bill Does
This bill would prohibit surrogacy agencies from facilitating surrogacy contracts for people who are sex offenders. It targets the intermediary agencies that match intended parents with surrogates and help arrange the legal and practical terms of a surrogacy agreement. The measure is aimed at preventing convicted sex offenders from using commercial surrogacy services to create a parent-child relationship through an assisted reproduction arrangement. It was introduced in the House and referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Bars surrogacy agencies from facilitating contracts with sex offenders.
- Applies to the agencies that arrange surrogacy agreements, not just the intended parents.
- Was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary after introduction in the House.
- Has 10 cosponsors.
- Would require agencies to screen clients for disqualifying criminal history.
Who This Bill Affects
For the general public, this bill would mainly affect people seeking surrogacy services and the agencies that arrange them. If enacted, agencies would have to screen out sex offenders from surrogacy contracts, which could reduce the pool of eligible clients and add verification steps to the process. It would not change costs for most households directly, but it could alter how surrogacy agencies operate and who can legally use them.
See how this bill affects you — sign in for a personalized analysisWho Supports & Opposes This
- Child welfare advocates They may argue that people convicted of sex offenses should not be able to use assisted reproduction services to create a child-placement arrangement. The bill is seen as a preventive safeguard that puts child safety ahead of private contracting.
- Surrogacy clients concerned about screening standards Some intended parents and surrogacy professionals may support a clear federal rule because it creates a bright-line standard for agencies. They may say it reduces ambiguity and helps agencies avoid making case-by-case judgments about serious criminal histories.
- Victims' rights advocates They may view the bill as a way to prevent offenders from accessing a family-building pathway that could be seen as inconsistent with the seriousness of their crimes. The argument is that the state should not facilitate parenthood arrangements for people convicted of sexual offenses.
- Reproductive law attorneys They may argue that a categorical ban is too blunt and could sweep in people whose offenses are old, nonviolent, or unrelated to child safety. They may prefer individualized review rather than a blanket exclusion.
- Civil liberties advocates They may contend that the bill creates a punitive collateral consequence beyond the criminal sentence itself. Their concern is that it restricts private family formation and contract rights based solely on offender status.
- Surrogacy agencies and fertility-service providers They may worry about the compliance burden of verifying criminal records and the legal risk of misclassification. They could also argue that federal restrictions may complicate a market already governed by varied state laws and private screening practices.
Key Implications
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““prohibit surrogacy agencies from facilitating surrogacy contracts with sex offenders””
This would make agencies the enforcement point for the restriction. In practice, agencies would need a screening process to identify disqualifying clients before any contract is arranged.
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““facilitating surrogacy contracts””
The bill reaches the business side of surrogacy, not just the final legal agreement. That means matching, coordination, and related services could all be affected if they are part of the facilitation process.
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““sex offenders””
The key policy question is which convictions count and how agencies verify them. Real-world implementation would depend on how broadly that category is defined and whether agencies must check criminal records.
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““for other purposes””
This phrase signals that the bill may include related enforcement or definitional provisions. Those details would shape how the restriction is applied and what penalties or compliance duties agencies face.
Latest Status
June 3, 2026
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
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Ask AI about this billData sourced from api.congress.gov.