February 26, 2020

The Honorable Carl E. Heastie

Speaker, New York Assembly
New York State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224

Dear Mr. Speaker:

Every New Yorker deserves access to evidence-based medical treatments and procedures in order to
become parents and build families. As New York women who care about this fundamental right, we ask
for your leadership to ensure passage of the Child-Parent Security Act (the “CPSA”) this session. This
legislation would end New York’s anachronistic ban on compensated gestational surrogacy – one of only
three states to do so -- and replace it with the strongest protections in the country for women acting as
gestational surrogates.

The constituencies whose lives would be improved upon passage of the CPSA include women and
couples experiencing infertility, people living with cancer, gay and single men, and the women who
choose to serve as gestational surrogates.

For infertility patients, the decision to utilize the assistance of a gestational surrogate often follows years
of costly and invasive medical treatments, which have failed to result in a live birth. When a woman, who
has always anticipated carrying her own child, is advised that gestational surrogacy is her best option for
becoming a parent, she must overcome difficult emotional hurdles to adjust to that reality. To then learn
that her home state bans the practice and that the individual or family must incur the additional expense of
travel to another state, is burdensome and unfair. In addition, the inability to “share” the pregnancy with
the gestational surrogate, sometimes even missing the birth of the child, adds another level of pain and
loss.

Cancer patients often don’t have the time (or money) to take the necessary steps before starting their
cancer treatments to avoid becoming infertile after cancer treatment, whether from the loss of ovaries or
uterus, compromised reproductive system, or other foreseeable or unforeseeable consequences of their
disease. For some, surrogacy is the only option available for those in remission after a cancer diagnosis.
Travelling out of state is often one additional hurdle that is insurmountable or unnecessarily arduous.

And for gay men and/or single men who want to have a biological child, working with a surrogate is,
quite simply, the only path to biologically connected parenthood.

Finally, for the people who serve as gestational surrogates themselves, passing this legislation restores
their body autonomy and dignity, while at the same time, guarantees the broadest protections, broader and
better than any other state in the country. The Surrogate Bill of Rights in the bill, among other things,
guarantees the surrogate has the sole right to terminate the pregnancy, the sole right to make medical
decisions, and the ability to choose independent legal counsel throughout the process, defrayed by the
intended parents. Recognizing those safeguards, the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York
endorsed the legislation, noting that it “incorporates protections sufficient to minimize the inherent risks
and balances conflicting social and ethical obligations.”

Under your leadership, New York State has become a beacon of progress for women and the LGBTQ
community. We must continue on this path of progress to ensure an environment that provides all New
Yorkers with the opportunity to build a family. This can only occur by ending New York’s ban on
surrogacy and replacing it with a law that would establish New York as the national leader in supporting
all people who rely on assisted reproductive technology to fulfill their dreams of becoming parents and
building families.

Sincerely,

Ruthie Ackerman Brooklyn, NY

Diana Adams New York, NY
Radha Agrawal Brooklyn, NY
Miki Agrawal Brooklyn, NY
Hina Ahmed New York, NY
Karin Ajmani New York, NY
Sarmin Akter Bronx, NY
Irena Altshul New York, NY
Juline Alverio Hartsdale, NY
Mary Athridge New York, NY
Jordyn Banks New York, NY
Tatsiana Bartash New York, NY
Gina Bartasi New York, NY
Ana Batista New York, NY
Gabrielle Bernadotte Wantagh, NY
Camille Bidermann New York, NY
Leah Bonvissuto Brooklyn, NY
Kathy Brodskky New York, NY
Denise Brogan-Kator New York, NY
Kristen Browde Chappaqua, NY
Dr. Meredith Brower New York, NY
Dr. Jessica Brown New York, NY
Dr. Nicole Browne New York, NY
Mallory Bulkley New York, NY
Florence Bull New York, NY
Michelle Buteau New York, NY
Julia Cadrain New York, NY
Miguelina Camilo Bronx, NY
Anna Caputo New York, NY
Elizabeth Caputo New York, NY
Kara Cerrone New York, NY
Dr. Sydney Chang New York, NY
Rachel Chavkin Brooklyn, NY
Elliott Chisholm Astoria, NY
Alexis Cirel New York, NY
Tara Clemmons New York, NY
Rabbi Judy Cohen-Rosenberg Jericho, NY
Kayla Contreras Astoria, NY
Anne Corry New York, NY
Yolanda Cuello New York, NY
Jennifer Cunningham New York, NY
Heather Dacorte New York, NY
Margaret Daneyko New York, NY
Susan Danziger New York, NY
Cynthia Darrison Brooklyn, NY
Jennifer Dasilva New York, NY
Lia De Feo New York, NY
Vanessa Dean New York, NY
Doralyn DeDios New York, NY
Rev. Kathryn Dickinson Brooklyn, NY
Kathleen DiPaola Albany, NY
Erin Donnelly New York, NY
Jordania Dorville New York, NY
Nancy Dubin Lynbrook, NY
Rabbi Jacqueline Koch Ellenson New York, NY
Rehaam Elzayat New York, NY
Annabeth Eschbach New York, NY
Lwiza Escobar Garcia New York, NY
Melanie Espana New York, NY
Rabbi Rachel Esserman Endwell, NY
Anna Eusebio New York, NY
Saralee Evans New York, NY
Sarrah Fallock New York, NY
Becky Fawcett New York, NY
Rabbi Marla Feldman New York, NY
Allison Fine Sleepy Hollow, NY
Rebecca Garfein New York, NY
Alison Gelles New York, NY
Ilana Gilovich Brooklyn, NY
Emily Giske New York, NY
Laurie Goldheim Briarcliff Manor, NY
Rabbi Barbara Goldman-Wartell Binghamton, NY
Amanda Goldstein New York, NY
Anayeli Gomez Brooklyn, NY
Fawn Goodman New York, NY
Rena Gower Stein New York, NY
Rabbi Katie Greenberg Bronx, NY
Sarah Griffis New York, NY
Elizabeth Grill New York, NY
Veronika Grochowalski Albany, NY
Dr. Sumati Gupta New York, NY
Ruth Ann Harnisch New York, NY
Susan Hazeldean Brooklyn, NY
Eve Helitzer New York, NY
Lori Hiller Brooklyn, NY
Julie Hindman Brooklyn, NY
Allie Hoffman New York, NY
Dr. Lucy Hutner New York, NY
Jill Iscol New York, NY
Darlene Jackson Bronx, NY
Aura Jimenez Bronx, NY
Brooke Johnson Brooklyn, NY
Rose Johnson New York, NY
Erin Jones Brooklyn, NY
Anneke Jong Brooklyn, NY
Nancy Juvonen New York, NY
Sara Kate Kanter Schenectady, NY
Danielle Kaplan, PhD New York, NY
Roberta Kaplan New York, NY
Rabbi Juilana Karol New York, NY
Erica Keller New York, NY
Alexandra King New York, NY
Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum New York, NY
Amy Klein Brooklyn, NY
Audrey Krezmer New York, NY
Diane Kunz Rye, NY
Sylvana Lai New York, NY
Dr. Jovana Lekovich New York, NY
Magnolia Levy New York, NY
Maria Lizardo Scarsdale, NY
Karen Loewy New York, NY
Virginia LoPreto New York, NY
Tanairi Lozada Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Sara Luria Brooklyn, NY
Samantha Maguire New York, NY
Rev. Patricia Malcolm Brooklyn, NY
Lisa Marie Maleska Bethpage, NY
Meghan Maloney de Zaldivar Buffalo, NY
Debbie Markowitz New York, NY
Modesty Martinez Bronx, NY
Ale Martinez New York, NY
Millie Massa Merrick, NY
Dr. Beth Mcavey New York, NY
Lauren McCabe Sperber Freeport, NY
Melanie McEvoy Laurel, NY
Rebecca Mendel New York, NY
Anisha Mirchandani New York, NY
Carmen Mojica Bronx, NY
Kayla Molinaro Albany, NY
Jalessa Montaque Albany, NY
Brooke Moreland New York, NY
Melissa Moro New York, NY
Arielle Mortimer New York, NY
Catherine Mullally New York, NY
Andi Nash Brooklyn, NY
Sally Neff Upper Nyack, NY
Jeanette Norris New York, NY
Melanie Notkin New York, NY
Carolyn O'Neal Bronx, NY
Jennifer Palumbo Brooklyn, NY
Shilpa Patel New York, NY
Carmen Perez-Jordan New York, NY
Dr. Samantha Pfeiffer New York, NY
Nancy Pham Brooklyn, NY
Vianny Pichardo New York, NY
Oksana Piddubna Brooklyn, NY
Carlene Pinto New York, NY
Dee Poku New York, NY
Ayelet Porzecanski Brooklyn, NY
Shannon Powell Larchmont, NY
Julia Powell Westbury, NY
Gaitree Prasaud New York, NY
Alison Prato Brooklyn, NY
Linda Priest Albany, NY
Christine Quinn New York, NY
Lisa Rattner Brooklyn, NY
Carmela Rea New York, NY
Olga Diaz Reid Melville, NY
Tracie Reynolds New York, NY
Anne Reynolds Copps Clifton Park, NY
Amanda Rice New York, NY
Adrienne Rodriguez Nyack, NY
Daryl Roth New York, NY
Rosina Rubin New York, NY
Yazil Ruiz Brooklyn, NY
Seema Sadanandan New York, NY
Ashley Santiago Bronx, NY
Dr. Fahimeh Sasan New York, NY
Reshma Saujani New York, NY
Joanne Schneider New York, NY
Pam Schumann Cold Spring, NY
Mary Scouten Albany, NY
Denise Seidelman Bronxville, NY
Lucky Sekhon Brooklyn, NY
Jessica Selmer Albany, NY
Chung Seto New York, NY
Dr. Aimee Seungdamrong New York, NY
Amy Shake Rensselaer, NY
Rabbi Jaimee Shalhevet Syosset, NY
Deepti Sharma Flushing, NY
Ann Shoket New York, NY
Rebecca Silver New York, NY
Ashley Simon Brooklyn, NY
Rache Sklar New York, NY
Nicole Smith New York, NY
Lori Sokol New York, NY
Laura Solomon Brooklyn, NY
Jennifer Sonnenschein Brooklyn, NY
Aitza Soto Haverstraw, NY
Julie St-Jean New York, NY
Alexandra Stanton New York, NY
Joshua Stanton New York, NY
Rabbi Debra Stein East Hampton, NY
Meredith Stone Rye, NY
Julie Strachan Mamaroneck, NY
Elizabeth Swire Falker Pound Ridge, NY
Andrea Syrtash Brooklyn, NY
Jade Tailor New York, NY
Sasha Taitz New York, NY
Dr. Sheeva Talebian New York, NY
Jillian Taratunio New York, NY
Sierra Teater Schenectady, NY
Lovelie Tejada New York, NY
Glennda Testone New York, NY
Beverly Tillery New York, NY
Carmen Torres New York, NY
Victoria Tran New York, NY
Esther Tresser-Polanco Staten Island, NY
Jennifer Tromblee Albany, NY
Rabbi Rochelle Tulik Rochester, NY
Carri Twigg Brooklyn, NY
Tessa Velazquez New York, NY
Andrea Wasserman New York, NY
Tracy Weiss New York, NY
Dr. Lynn Westphal New York, NY
Virginia Wettlaufer New York, NY
Shannon Wickenden Albany, NY
Jo Ann Yoo New York, NY
Tania Zaparaniuk New York, NY
Sarah Zemel New Rochelle, Ny
Alla Zilbervarg Brooklyn, NY
Lilli Zimmerman New York, NY