Political Notes: CA bill protecting same-sex parents advances

As a bill protecting the rights of same-sex parents who use sperm and egg donors advances in Sacramento, a new report is detailing the obstacles such households face in accessing infertility treatment.

The state Senate voted 29-2 August 17 to adopt Assembly Bill 960, known as the Equal Protection for All Families Act, authored by Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco), who is straight. It modernizes California law to protect families, particularly gay and lesbian couples, using assisted reproduction methods and would ensure that sperm and egg donors are not legally considered a parent.

Upon the legislation's becoming law, as Chiu's office has pointed out, 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. The bill would also remove the requirement from the state's family law that couples must involve a doctor when using assisted reproduction in order to ensure that the donor is not a parent.

The Assembly passed Chiu's bill in May, but due to several changes made to...