GROUNDBREAKING

CA Debates Sperm-Donor Bill

Bill came out of custody battle by actor Jason Patric.

California’s state legislature on Tuesday will debate a bill that would redefine parental and family rights for sperm donors, a bill that grew out of a heated custody battle between actor Jason Patric and his former girlfriend. Patric took his case to state legislators after a judge ruled the actor had no parental rights since he was a sperm donor for 3-year-old Gus, who was conceived via in vitro fertilization. He is expected to testify Tuesday in support of the legislation. “This bill does not give me my son back,” Patric told the Associated Press in an interview. “This bill allows me to go into a court of law and say ‘this is my son.’” The bill could be murky for same-sex couples and single mothers who use sperm donors, who have sought protection against parental rights for donors.