Calls for relaxed surrogacy laws
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Tasmanians wanting to use surrogacy will still have to go interstate. (www.sxc.hu: Jeremy Brown)
A parliamentary committee looking at surrogacy laws in Tasmania has recommended the regulations be relaxed.
While current laws allow altruistic surrogacy, the Committee found many related laws make the process difficult and expensive.
The Committee Chairwoman, Lin Thorp, says the laws need to be changed to allow people to seek legal advice and counselling about surrogacy within the state.
"Any Tasmanian couples who wish to access surrogacy will be able to do all their preliminary work here in Tasmania," Ms Thorp said.
"They'll still need to go interstate to the state's that allow altruistic surrogacy contracts in the short term."
The committee found most changes needed to make it easier for a couple to use surrogacy pertain to Federal legislation and are the domain of the family court.
The committee has called for nationally consistent legislation.
It has also recommended commercial surrogacy remain illegal in Tasmania.
