The institution of paid surrogacy is legal in Russia, but the practice has been criticised by religious groups who claim it commercialises the birth of children.
One of the authors of the bill, which was approved almost unanimously in a first reading, said such legislation is needed to ensure that children born in Russia are not endangered.
For now, "we cannot monitor the fate of even one baby," said Vasily Piskariov, a deputy of the ruling United Russia party.
"We do not know who their parents, their so-called 'mom' and 'dad' are, and why they buy a baby," he told parliament."
Piskariov said about 40,000 babies born in Russia to surrogate mothers have left the country to be raised by foreigners.
"Why should we spend our funds to solve other countries' demographic problems?" he asked, adding that babies born in Russia to surrogate mothers should automatically acquire Russian citizenship "so that we can monitor their fate."
The bill to be approved by the State Duma will require two more readings, after which it will have to be reviewed by the Federation Council (upper house of parliament) and to become law it must be signed by President Vladimir Putin.
Source: Cyprus Times
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