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. 5209, entitled
A bill to amend 1927 PA 175, entitled “The code of criminal procedure,” by amending section 15g of chapter XVII (MCL 777.15g), as amended by 2017 PA 259.
Was read a third time and passed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor, by yeas and nays, as follows: