Bill > SB2447

This bill, known as the Mississippi Family Building Act, establishes legal frameworks for assisted reproductive technology (ART) and gestational surrogacy in Mississippi. It defines key terms like "assisted reproductive technology," "gestational carrier" (a woman who carries a pregnancy using ART but not her own egg), and "intended parent" (the individual(s) who will raise the child). The act clarifies that donors of eggs, sperm, or embryos relinquish all parental rights and obligations upon donation, and allows for reasonable compensation related to these donations. Crucially, it permits "gestational carrier agreements" between intended parents and gestational carriers, outlining specific terms that must be included, such as the carrier agreeing to terminate parental rights and the intended parents accepting full responsibility for the child immediately upon birth, regardless of the child's condition. A significant provision requires a judicial determination of parentage in Chancery Court *before* a child conceived through ART under a gestational carrier agreement is born, officially declaring the intended parents as the legal parents and the gestational carrier as not a parent, and authorizing the issuance of a birth certificate reflecting this parentage. The act also specifies that all parties to the agreement must participate in this court proceeding and outlines venue options for such cases.

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https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2026/pdf/history/SB/SB2447.xml