California Cryobank Strongly Opposes California Bill SB 115

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- California Cryobank (CCB), the largest sperm donor screening program in the country, is actively opposing California Bill SB 115 (Hill) – a bill which fundamentally shifts the nature of the sperm donor and recipient relationship. SB 115 creates a potential devastating impact on thousands of donor conceived families without taking into account the opinions of any key stakeholders who represent the collective interests of the sperm donors, their recipients, and the children conceived as to how the bill could affect these families.

"We support a man's right to co-parent his offspring; however, current law expects an unmarried man who provides his sperm to a physician or sperm bank to establish a co-parenting agreement prior to the conception of the child. Invalidating the legal requirement of that agreement would create an uncertain environment for donor conceived conception and reverse legal protections for California families," said CCB's Alice Crisci.

This bill has moved quickly without challenge through the state Senate positioned as a "technical change" to the Family Code. In fact, it is far more impactful than it appears. SB 115 would grant any sperm donor (although not egg donors or surrogates) the right to sue for custody regardless of the mother's intent, regardless of any signed agreement between the recipient and donor, and regardless of the donor's lack of any financial or legal obligations to the child.

"Sperm donors are assured, and the laws have previously upheld, that a donor will have no legal obligations to provide child support and in turn they agree to waive all parental rights, unless they sign a co-parenting agreement. This bill threatens these standards by allowing a donor to claim parentage at any time," said Dr. Charles Sims, CEO, California Cryobank.

Crisci explains, "Current California law protects all parties involved in conceiving a child through donor sperm. This includes the custody and privacy rights of parents; sperm donors themselves from child support claims; and donor-conceived children from unnecessary custody battles.  This bill was pushed through when one affluent celebrity lost a custody case based on existing law. We should not, then, change the law to help him appeal his case while hurting tens of thousands of other individuals who have used, or will use, donor sperm to start their families."

Scott Brown, Dir. Client Experience 310-443-5244
Alice Crisci, Government Affairs 310-443-5244 x 1183

SOURCE California Cryobank