Virginia

Virginia surrogacy bill doesn't go far enough

Published

2 years ago

March 4, 2024

Virginia surrogacy bill doesn't go far enough

Virginia is on the verge of legalizing surrogacy brokers. A bill sent to Gov. Glenn Youngkin last week would repeal the state’s ban on accepting compensation for facilitating surrogacy arrangements. The Republican governor has through March 8 to sign the bill into law.

Getting rid of the ban on brokering surrogacy is a good idea. But Virginia should go further and ditch its ban on commercial surrogacy, too.

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Obsolete and Paternalistic

Under current law, it’s a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person or business “to accept compensation for recruiting or procuring surrogates or…otherwise arranging or inducing an intended parent and surrogates to enter into surrogacy contracts.” Doing so is punishable by up to a year in jail or a fine of up to $2,500. Someone in violation of this law could also be sued by parties to the brokered surrogacy contract.

“This 30-year-old statute is just absolutely obsolete, and it’s not enforced,” family law attorney Colleen Maria Quinn told a House subcommittee in January.

Yet House Bill 110, the measure repealing this provision, has been controversial—perhaps surprisingly so, considering that the old law is not being used and that actual surrogacy for pay would still be banned. In the Virginia House, votes on the measure were nearly evenly split (50–48).

The surrogacy brokerage ban was passed with an eye toward preventing people from being coerced into surrogacy, notes the Virginia Mercury. Some lawmakers have suggested that ending the brokerage ban would mean more coercion. But there are less extreme mechanisms that can ensure everything is on the up and up. As a surrogate, “you’ve got to have your own lawyer, for goodness’ sake,” Del. Rip Sullivan (D-Fairfax) said at the January subcommittee hearing. And this attorney is “obligated to make sure [a surrogate is] acting of [her] own free will.”

To recap: A woman can say she consents to be a surrogate, show through her actions that she consents to be a surrogate, have a lawyer attest to her consent to be a surrogate…and some people will still worry that she didn’t really consent to be a surrogate.

This is, alas, par for the paternalistic course when it comes to women’s decisions involving their bodies.

A certain sort of person will never be convinced that a woman would willingly become a surrogate, or get an abortion, or engage in sex for pay, and so on. So they deny the agency of women who do, in fact, willingly do these things. And they use this alleged lack of agency to justify roadblocks for women’s “protection.”

In this case, a woman who wants to be a surrogate is not only barred from being paid for her services, she also needs a court-appointed lawyer to speak for her so the state will see her as apable of speaking for herself.

Now Let People Pay Surrogates

There should be no ban on commercial surrogacy. Surrogacy is good for women and good for families (something I elaborated on in a recent op-ed for The Dispatch). It helps families have biological children they may not otherwise be able to have, and it can provide income and purpose to those serving as surrogates.

There’s been a good deal of research on surrogate mothers that counters conservative and radical feminist fears about the process. Far from being a last resort that only women with no other financial prospects do, surrogacy is often undertaken by women with altruistic as well as financial motives. Surrogates often report that their experiences are positive, harmonious, and meaningful. Decades of research on surrogate experiences has found that many are emotionally and psychologically well-adjusted. Studies also suggest that surrogates seldom regret the experience years later.

Of course, such positive experiences aren’t going to be universal. But we don’t generally ban things just because some fraction of people have negative experiences. In fact, it’s a bad idea to ban things based on the prevalence of positive or negative feelings about them at all. Is isn’t the government’s job to protect adults’ emotional well-being.

In this and so many other matters, the government should get out of the way and let consenting adults contract as they see fit.

Virginia lawmakers are right to repeal the state’s ban on surrogacy brokers. Next they should repeal the laws that forbid direct payment for the service of surrogacy and that allow surrogate compensation only for costs associated with the pregnancy.

They should also do away with laws making the whole process more burdensome for all parties and giving the government final say over whether surrogacy arrangements are OK. Under current Virginia law, a court must approve all surrogacy contracts and the approval is only good for 12 months. To get approval, intended parents and surrogates must pass a home fitness and parental fitness investigation undertaken by a social service worker or child welfare agent. They also have to undergo “counseling concerning the effects of the surrogacy.” In addition, the surrogate must prove that she has given birth at least once before and the intended parents must prove that they are infertile or unable to bear a child “without unreasonable risk.” And all parties must undergo “physical examinations and psychological evaluation” and turn records of such over to the court. Only if all of these conditions are acceptably met will the state give people permission to go forward with a surrogacy contract.

Underlying all of this is the idea that women are too dumb or fragile to make decisions about their own bodies and that the state should get to say who’s allowed to form families and under what circumstances. These ideas need to go, as does the idea that economic concerns can render consent invalid.

As Virginia Del. Candi Mundon King (D–Prince William) told her colleagues during the legislative debate, “being economically disadvantaged does not make you any less intelligent. It does not make you any less able to make your own decisions, whether they be financial, health or otherwise. We should be careful not to stigmatize those who are economically disadvantaged or put them into a category that they cannot understand how complicated and deeply personal surrogacy is.”

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Virginia

Feds want graduate nursing programs to reduce costs. This Virginia nurse worries changes will increase debt.

Published

11 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Feds want graduate nursing programs to reduce costs. This Virginia nurse worries changes will increase debt.

RICHMOND, Va. — University of Virginia graduate nursing student Nelly Sekyere worries that proposed federal loan cuts could prevent future students like herself from pursuing advanced nursing degrees that are helpful in filling shortages in underserved communities.

Sekyere’s parents moved to the United States from Ghana to pursue the American Dream. They worked hourly wage jobs to support their two kids and ultimately became licensed practical nurses, but they never had much money.

Nelly Sekyere

“My dad’s credit score was to the point where it was just awful. He had to file for bankruptcy. He was in so much debt,” Sekyere said.

Still, their children had big dreams and understood the value of hard work. Sekyere, who currently works as a nurse for a local health department, is now a student at UVA pursuing her doctorate to become a family nurse practitioner and to teach others who want to be nurses.

“I do plan to work in underserved communities and rural regions because that is something I am used to, and I feel that is where my expertise are needed the most,” Sekyere said.

She is able to pursue the doctorate because she qualifies for $200,000 in federal graduate degree loans. She said that without the loans, she couldn’t afford the degree.

“I would not. I physically could not afford it,” Sekyere said.

But future nursing graduate students like her may not be able to access as much federal loan money under graduate loan program changes within the One Big Beautiful Bill. Those changes would mean students enrolling in post-baccalaureate nursing programs would be eligible for half the amount of money in federal graduate loans they are currently allowed to take out.

Currently, they can take out $200,000 in federal graduate loans. That number would drop to $100,000 if the changes take effect.

“This impacts those that are pursuing a master’s in nursing, a doctorate of nursing practice or a PhD in nursing,” said Cindy Rubenstein, Director of Nursing and a professor at Randolph Macon College. “Those graduate programs actually prepare nurses to be advanced practice nurses whether that is a Nurse Practioner in primary care, midwives specialists, and also as educators and nurse scientists.”

On its website, the U.S. Department of Education states “95% of nursing students borrow below the annual loan limit and are therefore not affected by the new caps. Further, placing a cap on loans will push the remaining graduate nursing programs to reduce costs, ensuring that nurses will not be saddled with unmanageable student loan debt.”

Rubenstein said she understands the administration’s desire to control tuition costs and limit borrowing amounts. But she says the reality is that the proposal does not take into account the cost of key professional programs that we have shortages in.

“Health care training at the graduate level is more expensive than other training programs and other graduate degrees and that is because of the requirements for clinical practice,” Rubenstein said.

Both Rubenstein and Sekyere worry that reducing the amount of federal loan money a person can take out to pursue those higher nursing degrees will stop people from entering the programs because they either don’t qualify for a private loan or the interest rate is too high.

“I likely foresee in the future that graduate students are going to get themselves into private loan debt and with these programs there is no student loan forgiveness, there is no leniency, there is no income driven plans for you to be able to pay that back,” Sekyere said.

The federal loan changes are slated to take effect July 1 of next year. The Education Department is still working to define exactly which professional programs will no longer be eligible for the higher loan amounts and may make changes based on public comments.

CBS 6 asked Congressman Rob Wittman (R-1st District), who voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill, about the changes to the graduate nursing loans, and he sent us the following statement:

“Our healthcare professionals, especially our nurses, work tirelessly to serve our communities and ensuring pathways to training and education is essential. This proposed rule from the Department of Education has not yet been finalized, and there will be another opportunity for public comment. I will continue to monitor this situation as it develops and I remain committed to addressing the affordability of higher education.”

CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.

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Virginia

Veteran environmental legislator David Bulova selected as Virginia’s next resources secretary

Published

23 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Veteran environmental legislator David Bulova selected as Virginia’s next resources secretary

Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger moved Thursday to elevate one of the General Assembly’s most seasoned environmental lawmakers, selecting Del. David Bulova, D-Fairfax, to lead Virginia’s natural and historic resources portfolio when she takes office next month.Spanberger said Bulova’s decades in environmental planning and his legislative work on water quality, Chesapeake Bay cleanup and conservation policy make him well suited to steer the administration’s efforts on climate resilience, preservation and land stewardship. In announcing the choice, she framed the appointment as central to her agenda.

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Virginia Lottery urges adults to ‘Scratch the Idea’ of gifting lottery tickets to minors

Published

1 day ago

December 10, 2025

Press Room

Virginia Lottery urges adults to ‘Scratch the Idea’ of gifting lottery tickets to minors

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) – The Virginia Lottery and the Virginia Council on Problem Gambling are urging adults to gift responsibly this holiday season, warning that giving lottery tickets to anyone under 18 can normalize gambling and increase the risk of addiction.

The Virginia Lottery and the council have partnered for years to raise awareness about the risks of youth gambling and are encouraging adults to choose age-appropriate gifts this holiday season.

The groups released a public service announcement this week called “Scratchers for Kids?—Scratch That Idea” as part of a seasonal campaign on social media and other outlets.

The PSA’s message is direct: Don’t give children scratch-off tickets or other lottery products as gifts.

“Just as you wouldn’t give a child alcohol at Christmas, don’t give them a lottery ticket,” said Dr. Carolyn Hawley, president of the Virginia Council on Problem Gambling.

Officials said well-meaning adults sometimes slip lottery tickets into stockings or hand them out as small gifts, but this practice is dangerous and inappropriate.

They warned it may raise the likelihood that a child will develop gambling problems later in life.

“We want to discourage participating in gambling for as long as possible. We want to keep it safe, we want to keep it fun and to do so, let’s delay early onset for children,” Hawley said.

Hawley said the younger someone starts gambling — whether with a scratch-off ticket or on sports-betting websites — the greater the chances of developing a problem.

She and other officials noted a recent uptick in younger people seeking help and calling hotlines for gambling-related issues.

“We know they didn’t start gambling between 18 to 24; they started much earlier,” Hawley said.

Officials also noted that giving lottery tickets to minors is illegal.

They said their hope is that parents and guardians will set positive examples and model healthy behavior.

“They’re watching and they’re seeing, even if you’re not aware that that’s happening. So pay attention, recognize and understand the risks that can happen and model good behavior for your children,” Hawley said.

The Virginia Lottery and the council have partnered for years to raise awareness about the risks of youth gambling and are encouraging adults to choose age-appropriate gifts this holiday season.

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