Over 50 law experts submitted a joint letter on Sunday to China's top legislature, proposing amendments to the country's Population and Family Planning Law.

Zhan Zhongle, one of the experts and a law professor at Peking University, told the Global Times that the proposal submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and the State Council suggests abolishing the fertility approval system, as well as "social maintenance fees," fines paid by violators of family planning policy.

The proposal argues that the results of a loosening in the family planning policy last year were far below expectations, adding that China's birth rates have been below the level needed to keep its population size stable for 20 years, and that low long-term fertility rates, a rapidly aging population and increasing labor shortages make it "urgent to reform family planning policy."

"Revoking the restrictions on fertility and abolishing the fertility approval system could promote the long-term development of [China's] population, guarantee sustainable economic growth and maintain social stability. The later family planning policy is adjusted, the more serious the consequences will be," reads the proposal.

The proposal says that the current fertility approval system should be canceled, as it has caused many tragedies such as forced abortions.

"People have the right to decide whether they will give birth, and how many children they want to have," said Zhan.

The proposal also said that the social maintenance fees system should be abolished, as they violate citizens' legal rights and encourage social inequality and abuse of power. More than 20 billion yuan ($3.25 billion) in social maintenance fees is reportedly collected nationwide each year, but information on where the money goes is limited.

"The current family planning policy has also caused tragedies among the large numbers of families who lost their single child, and we should encourage more couples to give birth, as it will help to contravene the aging of China's population," Huang Wenzheng, a former Harvard University research fellow, told the Global Times.

Voices calling for the abolition of fertility controls have spread in recent years. Fifteen law experts and population scholars submitted a similar letter in 2012. Before the opening of this year's two sessions, 39 scholars submitted a joint letter to the top legislature suggesting full implementation of a "two-child policy" and revoking limitations on fertility.

However, some Net users expressed their concerns over possible negative consequences, saying that the abolishment of the fertility approval system might touch off a baby boom.

"If some parents give birth to many babies but are unable to raise them, who would be responsible for [raising them given China's] limited resources?" wrote one Net user.