OLYMPIA — A North Olympic Peninsula representative’s bill to allow surrogate mothers to get paid passed the state House last week.
The legislation, House Bill 2793, is intended to make it easier for women who cannot conceive a child to be able to find a surrogate in the state, said House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler, who introduced it.
It passed the House 59-39 and has been sent to the Senate for consideration.
(Bills must be passed by the House and Senate and be signed by the governor to become law.)
“For couples who cannot have a child, they should be” able to get a surrogate in the state, said Kessler, D-Hoquiam.
Since, under current state law, women can’t be compensated for being gestational surrogates, too many women must seek surrogates elsewhere in the country or in British Columbia, she said.
Kessler said opponents of the bill say it will lead to women becoming surrogates out of desperation for money.
But she said she thinks it includes enough safeguards.
The bill says surrogates would have to be at least 21 years old and have previously given birth to a child.
A mental health evaluation on the proposed surrogate would have to be done, and a doctor must attest to a medical need for surrogacy. The doctor certification doesn’t apply to gay and lesbian couples.
The Peninsula’s other representative in the House, Rep. Kevin Van De Wege, D-Sequim, voted for the bill.
Van De Wege and Kessler both represent the 24th Legislative District — which includes Clallam and Jefferson counties and a portion of Grays Harbor County — along with Sen. Jim Hargrove, D-Hoquiam.
Wednesday was the deadline for bills to be passed out of their chamber of origin.
Hargrove
Those that made it to a vote in time for Hargrove include:
• Senate Bill 6504, to reduce the amount of financial assistance the state provides to victims of crimes who suffer bodily injury or emotional stress. The lump sum the state would provide would be reduced from as much as $190,000 per victim to $50,000. It would also limit financial help for burial expenses to $6,500.
According to the state Department of Labor and Industries, which administers the fund, the program will run a $3.4 million deficit by July because of a 25 percent increase in caseload over the last two years.
The bill passed the Senate in a 31-15 vote Feb. 13.
• Senate Bill 6360, to eliminate the requirement of sex offenders to report to their local sheriff every 90 days and replace it with a requirement they verify their address with law enforcement every three, six or twelve months, depending on their sex offender rating. It passed the Senate 47-0 on Feb. 11.
• Senate Bill 6202, to add 18 months to five years to standard sentence ranges for felonies involving crimes against “vulnerable adults.” It passed the Senate in a 47-0 vote Feb. 15.
• Senate Bill 6639, to allow judges to enact an “alternative sentence” for parents who have custody of a child and are facing lengthy prison time. The Senate passed it 46-2 Feb. 15.
• Senate Bill 6610, to create a public safety review panel to address proposals on how people found not guilty for reason of insanity are handled. It passed the Senate in a 45-0 vote Feb. 13.
• Senate Bill 6561, to restrict access to juvenile offender records within a month after they turn 18 if they were convicted class B, C, gross misdemeanor and misdemeanor offenses if they were not convicted of a sexual-related offense and don’t have charges pending. It passed the Senate in a 41-4 vote Feb. 13.
• Senate Bill 6548, to allow the state to suspend parole of convicts who were convicted of crimes in other states and are charged with another crime. It passed the Senate 47-0 Feb. 11.
• Senate Bill 6550, to increase the maximum jail sentence of parolees who assault law enforcement officers from 60 days to one year. It passed the Senate 47-0 on Feb. 11.
Van De Wege
Van De Wege’s bills that have been voted on include:
• House Bill 2481, to authorize the state Department of Natural Resources to sell forest biomass. It passed the House in a 92-0 vote Feb. 13.
• House Bill 2546, to change classroom training requirements for electrical trainees. It passed the House 58-37 on Feb. 11.
• House Bill 1885, to make it illegal to intentionally feed bears, cougars, wolves, coyotes, deer, elk and raccoons. It passed the House in a 55-41 vote Jan. 28.
Kessler
Kessler has one other bill that has been voted on this session:
• House Bill 1317, to prohibit photographs, birth dates, residence information and phone numbers of criminal justice employees from being released publicly. The prohibition does not apply to journalists. It passed the House in a 95-0 vote Feb. 13.
Also of note
Some of the more noteworthy bills passed by the House recently include:
• Senate Bill 6130, to suspend Initiative 960. It passed in a 51-47 vote Wednesday. Van De Wege and Kessler voted yes.
• House Bill 2998, to suspend bonuses and salary increases for nonunion state employees. It passed 97-0 on Feb. 10. Van De Wege and Kessler voted yes.
• House Bill 3179, to allow cities to impose a sales and use tax less than 0.1 percent, with voter approval, to fund public safety programs. It was approved by the House 51-47 on Tuesday. Van De Wege voted no; Kessler voted yes.
• House Bill 3141, to refocus the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program on “economic self-sufficiency.” It passed on a 51-43 vote Feb. 14. Van De Wege and Kessler voted yes.
• House Bill 2893, to increase the amount of revenue school districts can raise from levies from 12 percent to 14 percent. It passed 55-41 on Feb. 13. Van De Wege and Kessler voted no.
• House Bill 2776, to require incremental phase-in of full-day kindergarten and set a funding formula for average class size, staff and operating costs to begin in 2011. It passed 73-23 on Feb. 13. Van De Wege and Kessler voted yes.
• House Bill 2688, to allow grocery stores to offer wine tasting. It passed in a 72-22 vote Feb. 14. Van De Wege voted no; Kessler voted yes.
• House Bill 2642, to allow farmers markets to offer wine tasting. It passed 79-19 on Feb. 15. Van De Wege voted no; Kessler voted yes.
The Senate recently passed:
• Senate Bill 6754, to make names and addresses of people who sign petitions public record. It passed in a 28-20 vote Feb. 15. Hargrove voted no.
• Senate Bill 6702, to provide education programs for juveniles in prison. It passed the Senate Feb. 13 on a 38-8 vote. Hargrove voted yes.
• Senate Bill 6686, to allow mayors to appoint municipal judges. It passed 36-12 on Feb. 15. Hargrove voted no.
• Senate Bill 6426, to suspend more than 50 boards and commissions until July 2011. It passed on a 46-3 vote on Feb. 10. Hargrove voted yes.
• Senate Bill 6470, to make it a priority to place Native American children who are in foster care in the care of a relatives or other native people. It passed in a 47-0 vote Tuesday. Hargrove voted yes.
• Senate Bill 6329, to allow grocery stores to provide wine tasting. It passed on Feb. 13 on 29-17 vote. Hargrove voted no.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
