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HB0073 • 2021

Birth certificates-gestational agreements.

AN ACT relating to vital records; specifying how parents are listed on a birth certificate upon delivery by a surrogate; providing definitions; making conforming amendments; specifying applicability; and providing for an effective date.

Children Healthcare
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Representative Greear
Last action
2021-04-05
Official status
enrolled
Effective date
7/1/2021

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Birth Certificates for Surrogate Children

This law sets rules for listing parents on birth certificates when a child is born through surrogacy.

What This Bill Does

  • Defines what a 'gestational agreement' is, which is an official contract between intended parents and a surrogate carrier who will carry the baby.
  • Requires that all parties in a gestational agreement must be at least 21 years old and the intended parents must have lived in Wyoming for one year before signing the agreement.
  • Limits compensation to the surrogate to only cover costs related to pregnancy, delivery, and other directly connected expenses.
  • Specifies that upon birth of a child through a gestational agreement, the intended parents are listed as the legal mother and father on the birth certificate.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Intended parents who use surrogates to have children
  • Surrogate carriers who carry babies for others

Terms To Know

gestational agreement
A legal contract between intended parents and a surrogate carrier.
intended parents
The two people who enter into an agreement with a gestational carrier to have a child.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Applies only if the child is born on or after July 1, 2021.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HB0073H2001

2nd reading • Representative Greear

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment adds a requirement that intended parents must have been residents of Wyoming for at least one year before signing a gestational agreement.

  • Adds a new clause (E) requiring intended parents to be Wyoming residents for at least one year prior to the gestational agreement.
  • The amendment text does not specify what happens if intended parents do not meet this residency requirement, which is an important detail that would need clarification.
HB0073HW001

Committee of the Whole • Representative Greear

Withdrawn

Plain English: The amendment removes the word 'as' from a specific line in the bill.

  • Removes the word 'as' from page 2, line 19 of HB0073.
  • This change is very minor and does not provide enough context to understand its impact on the overall meaning or purpose of the bill.
HB0073HW002

Committee of the Whole • Representative Greear

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment adds the word 'maternity' after 'paternity' in a section of HB0073.

  • Adds 'maternity' to include mothers along with fathers when determining parentage for birth certificates.
  • The exact context and implications of this change are not fully explained by the amendment text alone.
HB0073JC001

Conference Committee

Filed

Plain English: The amendment allows the House to adopt a version of HB0073 that includes changes made by the Senate, specifically regarding birth certificates and gestational agreements.

  • Allows the House to accept modifications from the Senate concerning how parents are listed on birth certificates when a surrogate is involved.
  • The exact nature of the Senate's amendments is not provided in the given text, so details about specific changes to the bill are unknown.
HB0073HS001

Standing Committee • House Judiciary Committee

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment removes specific references to local registrars and intended parents' residence in the bill text.

  • Removes 'as' from page 2 line 19.
  • Deletes reference to a local registrar in the county where the intended parents reside on page 3 lines 14-15, replacing it with 'of vital records'.
  • Eliminates four lines of text starting at page 5 line 5.
  • The amendment does not provide context for why these changes are being made or what the full implications might be.
HB0073S2001

2nd reading • Senator Steinmetz

Failed

Plain English: The amendment adds a new section (G) to limit compensation for gestational agreements to only cover expenses related to prenatal care, delivery, and other direct pregnancy-related costs.

  • Adds a new provision that restricts the types of compensation in gestational agreements to only include expenses directly connected with prenatal care, childbirth, and any other costs directly linked to the pregnancy.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens if there are disputes over what qualifies as 'directly connected' costs.
  • It is unclear how this will affect existing agreements or contracts that may have broader compensation terms.
HB0073S3001

3rd reading • Senator Case

Failed

Plain English: The amendment changes the wording in the bill to refer to 'the' parent(s) instead of specifying two parents, and removes references to a mother and father.

  • Replaces all instances of 'two (2)' with 'the'.
  • Removes the word 'mother' before 'and'.
  • Changes 'father' to 'parents'.
  • The amendment does not provide context for how these changes will affect the overall meaning or application of the bill.
HB0073S3002

3rd reading • Senator Steinmetz

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment adds a new section (G) to limit compensation for surrogacy arrangements to expenses related to prenatal care, delivery, and direct costs associated with the pregnancy.

  • Adds a new provision that restricts compensation in gestational agreements to specific medical and directly connected costs.
  • The amendment does not specify what 'cost of lost opportunity' includes or how it will be calculated.

Bill History

  1. 2021-04-05 LSO

    Assigned Chapter Number 87

  2. 2021-04-05 Governor

    Governor Signed HEA No. 0057

  3. 2021-04-01 Senate

    S President Signed HEA No. 0057

  4. 2021-04-01 House

    H Speaker Signed HEA No. 0057

  5. 2021-04-01 LSO

    Assigned Number HEA No. 0057

  6. 2021-03-31 House

    H Concur:Recede from Non-Concurrence pursuant to JR 2-4 Passed by Roll Call 38-21-1-0-0

  7. 2021-03-31 House

    H Concur:Failed 13-47-0-0-0

  8. 2021-03-29 Senate

    S Appointed JCC01 Members

  9. 2021-03-26 House

    H Appointed JCC01 Members

  10. 2021-03-26 House

    H Concur:Failed 13-47-0-0-0

  11. 2021-03-25 House

    H Received for Concurrence

  12. 2021-03-25 Senate

    S 3rd Reading:Passed 28-2-0-0-0

  13. 2021-03-24 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Passed

  14. 2021-03-23 Senate

    S COW:Passed

  15. 2021-03-22 Senate

    S Placed on General File

  16. 2021-03-22 Senate

    S01 - Judiciary:Recommend Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0

  17. 2021-03-17 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S01 - Judiciary

  18. 2021-03-09 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  19. 2021-03-09 House

    H 3rd Reading:Passed 43-17-0-0-0

  20. 2021-03-08 House

    H 2nd Reading:Passed

  21. 2021-03-05 House

    H COW:Passed

  22. 2021-03-03 House

    H Placed on General File

  23. 2021-03-03 House

    H01 - Judiciary:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 6-3-0-0-0

  24. 2021-03-01 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H01 - Judiciary

  25. 2021-01-21 House

    H Received for Introduction

  26. 2021-01-19 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 21LSO-0370
Bill No.:

HB0073

Effective:

7/1/2021 12:00:00 AM

LSO No.:

21LSO-0370

Enrolled Act No.:

HEA No. 0057

Chapter No.:

87

Prime Sponsor:

Greear

Catch Title:

Birth certificates-gestational agreements.

Subject:

Specifying how parents are listed on a birth certificate upon delivery by a surrogate.

Summary/Major Elements:

This act establishes a process by which parents who utilize a surrogate—a gestational carrier—can be listed as a child's parents on the birth certificate.

The act defines a gestational agreement that parents and a carrier can use and specifies requirements for who can enter into a gestational agreement and what provisions must be included.

Only persons who are twenty-one (21) or older may enter into a gestational agreement, and the intended parents must be residents of Wyoming for at least one (1) year before the agreement and must agree to become parents of the child to be born. The gestational carrier must agree to relinquish all rights and duties as the parent of any child delivered.

Compensation is limited to expenses related to prenatal care, delivery, and other costs directly connected to the pregnancy, including lost-opportunity costs.

Upon the birth of a child under a gestational agreement, the intended parents are deemed the father and mother of the child for purposes of birth registration and the birth certificate. The intended parents must submit a complete application to the Office of Vital Records and after the Office verifies that the gestational agreement complies with this act.
The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent.

While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
21LSO-0370

ORIGINAL House

ENGROSSED
Bill No
.
HB0073

ENROLLED ACT NO. 57,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SIXTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2021 General Session

AN ACT relating to vital records; specifying how parents are listed on a birth certificate upon delivery by a surrogate; providing definitions; making conforming amendments; specifying applicability; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

W.S. 14
‑
2
‑
901, 35
‑
1
‑
401(a)(v) and by creating new paragraphs (xiv) through (xvi) and 35
‑
1
‑
410(d) and by creating a new subsection (e) are amended to read:

14
‑
2
‑
901.

Scope of article.

This article does not apply to the birth of a child conceived by means of sexual intercourse
or to the birth of a child under a gestational agreement as defined by W.S. 35
‑
1
‑
401(a)(xiv)
.

35
‑
1
‑
401.

Definitions.

(a)

As used in this act:

(v)

"Live birth" means the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother
or its gestational carrier
of a fetus, which after such expulsion or extraction, breathes or shows any other evidence of life such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles, whether or not the umbilical cord has been cut or the placenta is attached;

(xiv)

"Gestational agreement" means a written, notarized agreement between two (2) intended parents and a gestational carrier where:

(A)

The gestational carrier agrees to pregnancy by means of assisted reproduction;

(B)

The gestational carrier, and her spouse if she is married, agree to relinquish all rights and duties as the parent of any child that is delivered from the gestational carrier;

(C)

The agreement specifies that the intended parents shall become the parents of the child;

(D)

All parties to the agreement are twenty
‑
one (21) years of age or older;

(E)

The intended parents have been residents of the state of Wyoming for not less than one (1) year immediately preceding the date of the gestational agreement;

(F)

The agreement is filed with the state registrar of vital records. Any agreement filed under this subparagraph shall be sealed and placed in a special file and may be opened only upon order of a court of competent jurisdiction or as otherwise provided by law;

(G)

Compensation is limited to expenses related to prenatal care, delivery of the child and any other costs including the cost of lost opportunity that are directly connected to the pregnancy.

(xv)

"Gestational carrier" means a woman twenty
‑
one (21) years of age or older who gives birth to a child under a gestational agreement;

(xvi)

"Intended parents" means two (2) persons who enter into a gestational agreement with a gestational carrier for the birth of a child for which the two (2) persons shall assume paternity or maternity.

35
‑
1
‑
410.

Birth registration.

(d)

For purposes of birth registration, unless a court of competent jurisdiction orders otherwise at any time
or except as provided in subsection (e) of this section
, the woman who gives birth to the child shall be deemed the mother.

(e)

Upon the birth of a child under a gestational agreement, the intended parents of the child born under the gestational agreement shall be deemed to be the mother and father of the child, including for purposes of birth registration and the birth certificate, upon satisfying the following conditions:

(i)

Submission of a complete application by the intended parents as the state office of vital records services prescribes; and

(ii)

Verification by the state office of vital records services that the gestational agreement complies with the requirements of W.S. 35
‑
1
‑
401(a)(xiv).

Section 2
.

(a)

This act is not intended to alter the rights and legal status of any person or unborn child not specifically addressed by the provisions of this act.

(b)

The provisions of this act shall apply to any gestational agreement entered into and in effect before the effective date of this act where the child is born to a gestational carrier on or after the effective date of this act.

Section 3
.

This act is effective July 1, 2021
.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the House.

Chief Clerk

1