DELAWARE- A proposal pending in the Delaware Senate would allow people conceived through donated sperm or eggs to access their genetic background, including identifying information about their donors, once they turn 18.
Senate Bill 236, sponsored by Sen. Dave Lawson, R-Marydel, and House Republican Leader Tim Dukes, R-Laurel, would require gamete banks and fertility clinics to gather and preserve both identifying details and nonidentifying medical histories from donors. According to the measure, parents could request nonidentifying medical history at any time. People conceived with donated genetic material could request both their medical history and identifying donor information once they reach adulthood.
Sen. Lawson said the legislation addresses the increasing use of assisted reproductive technology and aims to modernize Delaware’s parentage law.
“As more families rely on assisted reproduction, it is critical that we provide a clear, consistent legal framework that respects both parents and children,” Sen. Lawson said. “This legislation makes clear that individuals conceived through these methods can obtain important medical history and, as adults, identifying information about their donor. That knowledge can be essential for medical, personal, and family reasons.”
The bill incorporates elements of the 2017 revisions to the Uniform Parentage Act, a model law designed to help states respond consistently to legal questions surrounding assisted reproduction.
“This is a transparency issue at the most fundamental level,” Rep. Dukes said. “SB 236 is part of a growing ethical consensus that individuals conceived with donated genetic material have a right to know about the most personal information there is – the data encoded into every cell of their bodies.”
Senate Bill 236 is awaiting consideration by the Senate Health & Social Services Committee.