Cynara Charles was shocked to learn that paid surrogacy has been illegal in New York since 1992. 

This stems from a New Jersey court case when a surrogate fought for custody of a child she carried through traditional surrogacy--that’s when the egg belonged to the surrogate. 

Charles ultimately had to go through an out-of-state agency to start her family. She now has a 4-year-old daughter named Pearl. 

Right now, there is a push to legalize gestational surrogacy. This is when the surrogate has no biological link to the baby. 

There are two bills being proposed in Albany. However, it may call for some compromise. 

News 12’s Asha Mckenzie details more on how this roadblock is affecting families.