Shannon McGinley, executive director of Cornerstone Action, has raised concerns about the ethical implications of surrogacy and its impact on children. She made this statement on X.
“I want to open a conversation on the ethics of nontraditional pregnancies in NH,” said McGinley. “Most people haven’t considered the dangers involved, or the tragic reality that so many children suffer from these practices. Let’s start with taking a closer look at the slippery slope of surrogacy.”
In 2025, New Hampshire’s liberal surrogacy laws, established in 2014, came under renewed scrutiny. Critics warned of ethical risks and the lack of state-level data collection on surrogacy arrangements. McGinley argued that surrogacy presents a “slippery ethical slope” and said New Hampshire’s failure to track births and agreements undermines transparency and oversight, as reported by Cornerstone Action.
The U.S. surrogacy industry has experienced rapid growth, with average costs ranging from $100,000 to $140,000 in 2025, sometimes exceeding $250,000. Surrogate compensation has also increased significantly, rising from around $45,000 in 2019 to approximately $61,000 by 2024. These figures highlight the rising financial barriers associated with surrogacy, according to SurroAdvisor.
New Hampshire is regarded as one of the most surrogacy-friendly states. It permits gestational surrogacy by statute and grants pre-birth parentage orders regardless of marital status or genetic ties. In contrast, states such as Michigan prohibit enforceable surrogacy contracts, while Massachusetts, Illinois, and Maine provide similarly broad protections as New Hampshire does, according to Worldwide Surrogacy.
McGinley serves as the Executive Director of Cornerstone Action and Cornerstone Policy Research in New Hampshire. She manages strategy, staffing, and operations for these organizations. McGinley has been a prominent voice in state debates on family and moral policy issues. She regularly publishes op-eds and offers testimony on legislation related to topics including surrogacy and education reform.
Cornerstone Policy Research was founded in 2000 as a nonprofit advocacy organization in New Hampshire that promotes conservative family values and social policies. The group engages in legislative advocacy, community outreach, and policy research on issues such as education ethics and women’s rights. Its mission emphasizes strengthening traditional family structures.