LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a package of bills called the Michigan Family Protection Act, which will repeal a ban on compensated surrogacy agreements.

“Decisions about if, when, and how to have a child should be left to a family, their doctor, and those they love and trust, not politicians,” said Governor Whitmer in a statement. “If we want more people and families to ‘make it’ in Michigan, we need to support them with the resources they need to make these deeply personal, life-changing choices.”

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Governor Whitmer, who has long advocated for added protections for members of the LGBTQ+ movement, shared how the legislation will help them.

“The Michigan Family Protection Act takes commonsense, long-overdue action to repeal Michigan’s ban on surrogacy, protect families formed by IVF, and ensure LGBTQ+ parents are treated equally,” she said in a statement. “Your family’s decisions should be up to you, and my legislative partners and I will keep fighting like hell to protect reproductive freedom in Michigan and make our state the best place to start, raise, and grow your family.”

The ban on compensated surrogacy has been in place in the state since 1988. Because the bills did not clear a two-thirds vote in the Senate, the new law will not take effect until 90 days after the Michigan Legislature concludes its session this year.