Brown Rejects Bill To Pay Egg Donors For Research

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Gov. Jerry Brown has vetoed a bill that would have made it legal to pay women to stimulate and harvest their reproductive eggs for research.

Brown says in a veto letter for AB926 that "not everything in life is for sale nor should it be." The letter is dated Tuesday.

The bill by Democratic Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla of Concord aimed to protect women from exploitation when they serve as research subjects. It would have allowed them to be compensated for the time, discomfort and inconvenience of producing the eggs.

Current law prohibits human oocytes or embryos from being acquired, sold, offered for sale, received or traded for medical research.

Brown says the long-term risks for women are unknown, and "putting thousands of dollars on the table only compounds this problem."

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.