WASHINGTON, D.C. — June 4, 2026 — At the Center for Bioethics and Culture (CBC), we have long argued that surrogacy law in the United States contains serious gaps that leave women and children vulnerable to exploitation and harm. Today, those concerns are finally receiving attention at the federal level.

Rep. Scott Perry has introduced two bills aimed at addressing some of the most troubling shortcomings in the surrogacy industry. His efforts reflect growing concern over the inconsistency of surrogacy regulation across states and the absence of meaningful federal safeguards in an industry that increasingly operates across borders and jurisdictions.

The first bill, the “Protecting Kids from Creeps Act,” would prohibit registered sex offenders from entering surrogacy agreements or obtaining parental rights through assisted reproduction. It would also impose penalties on surrogacy agencies that facilitate such arrangements. The idea that the legal system must explicitly prohibit sex offenders from accessing children through surrogacy highlights a deeper structural failure: assumptions about safety and eligibility in assisted reproduction have not been adequately codified into law. The fact that Congress is now advancing legislation to explicitly bar sex offenders from accessing children through surrogacy underscores a fundamental truth: reproductive technology has advanced far faster than the legal frameworks meant to govern it.

The second bill, the “Preventing International Surrogacy Exploitation Act,” would prohibit foreign nationals from obtaining children through U.S.-based surrogacy arrangements. In practical terms, it would close the American surrogacy market to international intended parents and address a growing area of concern within the billion-dollar global fertility industry.

International surrogacy arrangements routinely involve multiple legal systems, conflicting parentage laws, and varying citizenship requirements. When disputes arise, contracts break down, or intended parents refuse custody, children are left in legal limbo, sometimes facing prolonged uncertainty regarding citizenship, guardianship, and parental recognition. Cross-border surrogacy also raises concerns about coercion, unequal bargaining power, and the difficulty of ensuring meaningful protections for surrogate mothers when agreements span multiple jurisdictions. As surrogacy becomes increasingly globalized, the risks do not disappear—they multiply, often leaving children to bear the consequences of regulatory failures. We would not be the first country to close our boarders to international surrogacy arrangements, but would join the ranks with Germany, Italy, France, and others.

Taken together, these bills signal a growing recognition that the current patchwork of surrogacy laws leaves too much ambiguity where clear safeguards should exist. They also reflect broader bioethical concerns about domestic and international surrogacy markets, where commercial interests can outpace legal accountability and vulnerable parties, particularly children, can fall through regulatory cracks.

At CBC, we have consistently raised concerns about the impact of commercial and international surrogacy on women, children, and family integrity. These concerns are not theoretical. They reflect documented patterns and real-world outcomes that deserve greater scrutiny in public policy discussions.

I had the pleasure of meeting Congressman Scott Perry in January 2026, when I spoke about the harms associated with international surrogacy and the broader ethical concerns surrounding global fertility markets. That conversation reflected a shared understanding that U.S. surrogacy policy remains fragmented and in need of meaningful reform. His announcement today adds momentum to the work of educating policymakers and the public about the risks and realities of surrogacy, both in the United States and abroad.

Supporters view these measures as overdue safeguards that should have been in place from the beginning. Critics will undoubtedly raise questions about federal authority, reproductive autonomy, and the role of government in family formation. At the CBC, however, we believe the conversation must begin with the interests of children and the women whose bodies make these arrangements possible. The stakes are simply too high to ignore.

As both bills move through Congress, CBC will continue to follow their progress and contribute to the national conversation about how assisted reproduction can be governed by clear ethical boundaries, meaningful accountability, and enforceable protections for women and children.

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