Requires the promulgation of regulations relating to the commercial trade of human reproductive processes involving semen donation

1 Co-sponsor

• Michael H. Ranzenhofer

BILL NUMBER:S6272

Title of bill

An act to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring the promulgation of regulations relating to the commercial trade of human reproductive processes and limiting the number of live births from a single semen donor

Purpose

Requires the promulgation of regulations relating to the commercial trade of human reproductive processes involving semen donation.

Summary of provisions

Section 1. Subdivisions 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of section 4365 of the public health law are renumbered subdivisions 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 and a new subdivision 3 is added to read: To direct the Commissioner of Health, in consultation with the Transplant Council, will promulgate regulations to limit the number of live births per single sperm donor to no more than 10 live births, and establish a central tracking registry to manage relevant health information of the sperm donor." Section 2. Identifies the effective date.

Justification

Previously reported incidences of sperm donors fathering outsize groups of donor siblings have articulated the need for the legislature to regulate the number of children that sperm donors can father. The lack of a cohesive sperm donor registry not only leads to possible over-saturation of a gene pool from a single donor, but endangers the donor recipient and child to potential health issues relevant to the sperm donor and the insemination process. The proposed legislation will insure pertinent health information of the donor at the time of the donation is managed by such a registry, while protecting the rights of the donor and offspring to anonymity. It is crucial that entities involved in the insemination process are prevented from actions that potentially jeopardize the well-being of recipient families and donor children, as well as exacerbate the effects of outsize groups from a single sperm donor.

Legislative history

New bill.

Fiscal implications

To be determined.

Effective date

The Act will take effect immediately, provided the Commissioner of Health will promulgate regulations no later than six months after the act becomes law.