The Italian Senate of the Republic on Wednesday passed a bill making it possible to prosecute surrogacy sought even outside Italy, with violators potentially facing both prison time and a fine as high as 1 million euros (more than $1 million).
Surrogacy has been illegal in Italy since 2004. The prohibition is contained within the country’s Law 40, which regulates medically assisted procreation. With the Oct. 16 vote, Italy will amend Law 40 to extend its jurisdiction to criminalize even surrogacy “committed abroad,” now referring to it as “universal crime” in Italian law.
The bill, which passed 84 to 58 with no abstentions, was hotly debated in the Senate hall before being put to vote. The topic of surrogacy and its criminalization has been a source of political and social contention in the majority-Catholic country for a number of years, as many wish to protect the rights of children and prevent the commoditization of human life. Surrogacy’s criminalization is strongly supported by Italy’s current government, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who personally supports the recent expansion of the ban.
Further details can be found here at the Catholic News Agency website.