Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco) will join a coalition of LGBT and family advocates to urge Gov. Brown to sign Assembly Bill 960, the Equal Protection for All Families Act. The Assembly passed the bill on Monday, and it now heads to the governor’s desk.
AB 960 would update current assisted reproduction laws in three ways. First, unmarried couples using assisted reproduction to become parents would be recognized as such on the same terms as married parents from the moment their child is born. Second, the bill would remove the requirement from Family Law that couples must involve a doctor when using assisted reproduction in order to ensure that the donor is not a parent. Finally, AB 960 provides clear direction for how egg donors should be treated under California law.
“This bill provides crucial legal relief for many couples, especially LGBT individuals, who are trying to become parents by using assisted reproduction,” said Assemblymember Chiu. “Many families, especially our LGBT families, hesitate before having children through assisted reproduction for fear that they may not be legally recognized as the parents they’ve always wanted and intended to be. The fear of possibly never having parental rights as intended is a heartbreaking scenario that needs to stop in California.”
Assemblymember David Chiu will be joined by Polly Pagenhart of Our Family Coalition, Cathy Sakimura of the National Center for Lesbian Rights and Jo Michael of Equality California, Wednesday 9 a.m. on the steps of the Earl Warren Building in San Francisco.
