Under these bills, women signing contracts would have few rights and would be controlled by the beholder of their contract.
For these reasons, I cannot support these bills.”
Rep. St. Germaine, having reserved the right to explain her protest against the passage of the bill, made the following statement:
“Mr. Speaker and members of the House:
Surrogacy is already legal in Michigan. I am not opposed to surrogacy itself.
However, the surrogacy package did not include any safeguards for the exploitation of low-income women.”
Rep. Schmaltz, having reserved the right to explain her protest against the passage of the bill, made the following statement:
“Mr. Speaker and members of the House:
Surrogacy is already legal in Michigan, and it has brought joy to many couples. My opposition to these bills is not to surrogacy itself. Our current laws recognize that surrogate mothers and the babies they carry need safeguards to protect them from exploitation. Our law helps provide those safeguards by banning compensated surrogacy and the legally binding contracts that come with it. I cannot in good conscience vote for legislation the removes those protections.”
House Bill No. 5214, entitled
A bill to amend 1996 PA 305, entitled “Acknowledgment of parentage act,” by amending sections 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7 (MCL 722.1002, 722.1003, 722.1004, 722.1006, and 722.1007), section 3 as amended by 2014 PA 409, section 6 as amended by 2006 PA 105, and section 7 as amended by 2012 PA 161.
Was read a third time and passed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor, by yeas and nays, as follows: