A member of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Health, Medical Care, and Health Insurance Serhiy Kuzminykh proposes banning the use of assisted reproductive technology (ART) for the benefit of foreigners and stateless persons, as well as introducing criminal liability for the use of such technologies or the organization of ART procedures for the benefit of foreigners.

Corresponding bills, Nos. 15507 and 15506, were registered with the Verkhovna Rada on August 12. In particular, the legislative amendments proposed in these documents provide that permission to use surrogacy procedures shall be granted only on the condition that both spouses (or one of the spouses) are citizens of Ukraine and have resided permanently in Ukraine for at least three years prior to the conclusion of the contract.

In addition, the lawmaker proposes that the state registration of a child born to a surrogate mother be carried out upon presentation of documents confirming the Ukrainian citizenship of at least one of the genetic parents.

Furthermore, if adopted, the bill stipulates that the existence of a signed surrogacy agreement or the fact of a child's birth in Ukraine does not constitute grounds for extending a foreign national's stay or for obtaining a residence permit.

Healthcare facilities, for their part, are required to conduct mandatory verification of the citizenship of potential genetic parents before beginning the surrogacy procedure.

According to the author of the bill, these legislative changes will help eliminate schemes involving the illegal removal of children abroad under the guise of participation in surrogacy programs.

Another initiative by Kuzminykh is a bill that proposes introducing criminal liability for performing or organizing assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedures for the benefit of foreign nationals. Specifically, the bill provides for imprisonment for a term of three to five years for organizing or conducting assisted reproductive technology procedures involving surrogacy or entering into relevant contracts for the benefit of foreign nationals or stateless persons, provided that neither spouse is a citizen of Ukraine.

For the same violations committed repeatedly, or by prior conspiracy among a group of persons, or with the intent to obtain unlawful benefits on a large scale, the penalty is imprisonment for a term of five to eight years. If the offense results in serious consequences, the penalty is imprisonment for a term of eight to 12 years with confiscation of property (part three of the article).

In the explanatory note, the author of the bill notes that over the past decade, Ukraine has remained one of the leaders in the European and global market for assisted reproductive technology's services, particularly in the field of surrogacy; however, the lack of comprehensive criminal law regulation poses systemic threats to national interests, demographic security, and the protection of the rights of children and women in difficult life circumstances.

"The absence of clear legislative restrictions on the use of assisted reproductive technologies allows business entities (private medical facilities and intermediary agencies) to exploit women's reproductive functions for the purpose of obtaining unlawful gains. This leads to the conclusion of agreements under knowingly exploitative terms, the concealment of medical and legal risks for surrogate mothers, and the informalization of the relevant sector of medical services," the author of the bill said.

According to data from open sources, in 2024, slightly fewer than 2,000 Ukrainian women took advantage of free infertility treatment (in vitro fertilization), in 2025, according to data provided by the Ministry of Health, 6,924 Ukrainian women received such treatment; and in 2026 (as of August), 6,290 women had already received treatment under the program, with 1,885 of them confirming their pregnancies.