20-156 - Definitions.
§ 20-156. Definitions.
As used in this chapter unless the context requires a different meaning:
"Assisted conception" means a pregnancy resulting from any interveningmedical technology, whether in vivo or in vitro, which completely orpartially replaces sexual intercourse as the means of conception. Suchintervening medical technology includes, but is not limited to, conventionalmedical and surgical treatment as well as noncoital reproductive technologysuch as artificial insemination by donor, cryopreservation of gametes andembryos, in vitro fertilization, uterine embryo lavage, embryo transfer,gamete intrafallopian tube transfer, and low tubal ovum transfer.
"Compensation" means payment of any valuable consideration for services inexcess of reasonable medical and ancillary costs.
"Cryopreservation" means freezing and storing of gametes and embryos forpossible future use in assisted conception.
"Donor" means an individual, other than a surrogate, who contributes thesperm or egg used in assisted conception.
"Gamete" means either a sperm or an ovum.
"Genetic parent" means an individual who contributes a gamete resulting ina conception.
"Gestational mother" means the woman who gives birth to a child, regardlessof her genetic relationship to the child.
"Embryo" means the organism resulting from the union of a sperm and an ovumfrom first cell division until approximately the end of the second month ofgestation.
"Embryo transfer" means the placing of a viable embryo into the uterus of agestational mother.
"Infertile" means the inability to conceive after one year of unprotectedsexual intercourse.
"Intended parents" means a man and a woman, married to each other, whoenter into an agreement with a surrogate under the terms of which they willbe the parents of any child born to the surrogate through assisted conceptionregardless of the genetic relationships between the intended parents, thesurrogate, and the child.
"In vitro" means any process that can be observed in an artificialenvironment such as a test tube or tissue culture plate.
"In vitro fertilization" means the fertilization of ova by sperm in anartificial environment.
"In vivo" means any process occurring within the living body.
"Ovum" means the female gamete or reproductive cell prior to fertilization.
"Reasonable medical and ancillary costs" means the costs of the performanceof assisted conception, the costs of prenatal maternal health care, the costsof maternal and child health care for a reasonable post partum period, thereasonable costs for medications and maternity clothes, and any additionaland reasonable costs for housing and other living expenses attributable tothe pregnancy.
"Sperm" means the male gametes or reproductive cells which impregnate theova.
"Surrogacy contract" means an agreement between intended parents, asurrogate, and her husband, if any, in which the surrogate agrees to beimpregnated through the use of assisted conception, to carry any resultingfetus, and to relinquish to the intended parents the custody of and parentalrights to any resulting child.
"Surrogate" means any adult woman who agrees to bear a child carried forintended parents.
(1991, c. 600; 1997, c. 81.)