Reproduction bill’s exclusion of singles concerns lawmakers

Some lawmakers in a parliamentary committee queried why the medically assisted reproduction bill excluded single people.

President Chan Chak Mo of the parliament’s Second Standing Committee told a post-meeting press conference yesterday that some committee members called on the government to be “more open-minded and progressive,” according to a report by local media All About Macau.

The bill was passed by the plenary at its first reading.

Chan said the main focus of the discussion yesterday was the overall direction and principle of the bill, such as details of the beneficiaries.

Under the bill, beneficiaries of medically assisted reproduction will be married or de-facto spouses of different sexes. These couples may not be divorced or separated, must be at least 18 years old and of childbearing age, and may not be deemed unfit.

Regarding the proposed category of beneficiary, some committee members expressed concern as to why the proposed minimum age is 18. There were also questions about including single women and homosexuals.

Chan said that although widely reliant on its Portuguese counterpart, the bill is not an exact copy. In Portugal, single people and homosexuals are eligible for the service.

He said Macau is comparatively less progressive than Portugal, while saying that, during the public consultation, “many people” opposed a more progressive version of the bill. However, some lawmakers objected to this view.

Post-mortem retrieval and embryo transfer is treated differently by the bill. Lawmakers have demanded an explanation from the government.

The parliament’s legal advisors have issued reminders the bill should consider the interests of the offspring and heritage issues.