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Canberra Today 12°/15° | Saturday, March 30, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Register sperm, egg or embryo donors, says MLA 

ACT Labor MLA Dr Marisa Paterson is calling on her own government to review support services and regulatory arrangements for assisted reproductive technology in Canberra.

Dr Marisa Paterson… calling on the ACT government to review assisted reproductive technology services.

The Murrumbidgee MLA will call on the ACT government in the Legislative Assembly next week.

Ms Paterson says many jurisdictions across Australia have legislation and regulatory regimes that provide a framework for assisted reproductive technology (ART) providers, patients and donors, however, the ACT does not currently have in place any legislated or  regulatory system governing important aspects of ART for parents and children.

She says this includes matters related to donor recognition and provider accreditation and licensing.

She will call on the government to: 

  • review the availability of ART support services and comparable regulatory arrangements in other jurisdictions; 
  • consider establishing a regulatory framework for ART in the ACT, including consideration of the position of sexuality and gender diverse couples;  
  • consider the establishment of a register to contain information where donor gametes are used and the  provision of regulated access to this information;  
  • consider the potential impact of the Federal Government’s “Mitochondrial Donation Law Reform (Maeve’s Law) Bill 2021″; 
  • consider the availability of ART for low-income earners in the ACT; and 
  • report back to the Legislative Assembly by August 2022 on findings. 

A critical part of this motion, she says, is the potential to establish a registration process for donated sperm, eggs or embryos to ensure that individuals in the ACT who are born using this treatment can identify their biological parent or obtain information about their genetic heritage and  background. 

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