In 2018, Family Equality formed the Protecting Modern Families Coalition to help advance the Child-Parent Security Act in New York state.
The Child-Parent Security Act is a law in New York state that legalizes gestational surrogacy and provides a simple path to establish legal parental rights for parents who rely on assisted reproductive technology (ART) to have children. The Child-Parent Security Act was signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo on April 3, 2020.
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We cannot understate the importance of your support in this fight for lived and legal equality.
To learn more about the Child-Parent Security Act (CPSA) and the protections it provides for parents, surrogates, and children born using assisted reproductive technology, visit our CPSA Resource page:
About the Coalition
The coalition brought together advocates from LGBTQ+, women’s, religious, and infertility organizations to work alongside champions in the Senate, the Assembly and the Governor’s office to overhaul New York’s outdated parentage laws. In the New York legislature, the lead sponsors of the Child-Parent Security Act were Assembly Member Amy Paulin and Senator Brad Hoylman.
View recent coalition press releases:
- Child-Parent Security Act To Pass in New York State (April 2, 2020)
- New Yorkers Support Legalizing Surrogacy By 5-1 Margin (Jan 27, 2020)
- Surrogates Issue Letter in Support of Child-Parent Security Act (Jan 23, 2020)
Supporting Organizations
The following organizations supported the Protecting Modern Families Coalition in advocating for passage of the Child-Parent Security Act in New York state:
- Academy for Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys
- Albany Damien Center
- Alliance for Fertility Preservation
- American Society for Reproductive Medicine
- Auburn Theological Seminary
- The Breasties
- Central Conference of American Rabbis
- Equality New York
- Fertility Within Reach
- Gay Men’s Health Crisis
- Hispanic Health Network
- Hudson Valley LGBTQ Community Center
- Human Rights Campaign
- Lambda Legal
- Latino Commission on AIDS
- The LGBT Community Center of NYC
- Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club of Queens
- The LOFT: LGBT Community Center (Westchester County)
- Men Having Babies
- National Center for Lesbian Rights
- National Council of Jewish Women NY
- New York Attorneys for Adoption and Family Formation
- New York City Bar Association
- New York State Bar Association
- New York Transgender Advocacy Group
- Oasis, Latino LGBTS Wellness Center
- Pride for Youth & Long Island Crisis Center
- RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association
- Stonewall Democratic Club of NYC
- SAGE: Advocacy & Services for LGBT Elders
- The Chick Mission
- The LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York
- UJA-Federation of New York
- Union Theological Seminary
- Women’s Bar Association of NY
Letters in Support of the Child-Parent Security Act
The following letters were submitted to the New York State government as part of the campaign to pass the Child-Parent Security Act:
- Letter to Gov. Cuomo, Senate Majority-Leader Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Speaker Heastie from women who have served as surrogates (January 23, 2020)
- Letter to NY Assembly Members from RESOLVE in response to letter from Gloria Steinem (June 13, 2019)
- Letter to NY Legislature from LGBTQ organizations (May 23, 2019)
- Letter to Senate Majority-Leader Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Speaker Heastie from NY Rabbis and Cantors (May 12, 2019)
- Letter to Governor Cuomo from RESOLVE (March 12, 2019)
- Letter to Governor Cuomo from surrogacy agencies (March 12, 2019)
- Letter to Governor Cuomo from ASRM (March 11, 2019)
- Analysis from the New York City Bar Association (February 26, 2019)
- Letter to Governor Cuomo from women who have served as surrogates (February 20, 2019)
Child-Parent Security Act Stories
Many advocates shared their personal stories in coordination with the Protecting Modern Families Coalition, demonstrating the need to modernize New York law. Click the links to below to view some some of these stories:
Selected Media Coverage
- New York Has Been Long Overdue For Good News … On Surrogacy, Above the Law (Apr 08, 2020)
- Andy Cohen Steps Out for the First Time Since Recovering from Coronavirus and Returning to Work, People Magazine (Apr 06, 2020)
- After 28 Years, New York Has Lifted Its Ban On Paid Gestational Surrogacy, Romper (Apr 06, 2020)
- Bravo’s Andy Cohen joins Cuomo in push for New York to lift surrogacy ban, The Hill (Jun 11, 2019)
- Senate Hearing on Surrogacy Gains New Face for the Cause, Spectrum News Capital Region (May 29, 2019)
- New hope rises for would-be LGBTQ parents in New York, NBC News (Apr 22, 2019)
- Why I Chose to Become a Surrogate, Gay City News (Mar 26, 2019)
- Advocates call for New York to legalize gestational surrogacy, Albany Times Union (Mar 06, 2019)
- Give New Yorkers the Same Reproductive Rights Found in Other States, Law.com (Feb 28, 2019)
- The Right Way to Legalize Surrogacy in New York, Gotham Gazette (Feb 20, 2019)
- The long wait for legalized surrogacy may soon end in New York, NBC News (Feb 07, 2019)
- 50 Years After Stonewall, It’s Time to Protect LGBTQ Families, The Advocate (Jan 26, 2019)
- New York’s surrogacy laws may get a major update to be more inclusive of queer families, LGBTQ Nation (Jan 04, 2019)
Data Shows Public Support for Child-Parent Security Act
Before the Child-Parent Security Act passed, the Protecting Modern Families Coalition shared results of a poll of likely voters in New York State examining views on the issue of legalizing gestational surrogacy in January 2020.
The poll showed broad public support for allowing compensated gestational surrogacy.
The poll was conducted by Data for Progress