Action Alert: Support the Governor’s Pro-life Amendment!

Legislators return to Richmond on April 27 to act on bills amended (or vetoed) by Governor Youngkin, and we need you to urge your legislator to support his pro-life amendment to SB 163 (R-Peake). 

This year, the General Assembly passed SB 163, which prohibits a surrogacy contract from allowing the paying party to force the carrying mother to have an abortion if the child appears to have a disability, or simply if they change their minds about wanting the child.  Surrogacy contracts can also allow intended parents to force “selective reductions,” which is the horrific practice of killing one or more babies in the womb, while leaving one or more alive.  As frightening as this may be, surrogacy contracts are on the rise and current Virginia law does not prohibit these types of agreements.

However, during the legislative process a provision was added to the bill by the Senate Judiciary committee stating that surrogates cannot be prohibited from having an abortion. This language would implicitly establish a “right” to abortion within Virginia’s surrogacy law.

Governor Youngkin has amended SB 163 to remove this added language that could establish a “right” to abortion, and return the bill to its original intent as introduced. 

This good amendment maintains the much needed commonsense protection for surrogate mothers, and protects the unborn from being aborted.

Please Urge Your Delegate and Senator to SUPPORT the Governor’s Pro-Life Amendment!