Massachusetts Legislature Passes Parentage Act

From Massachusetts Legislature Press Room: 

The Massachusetts Legislature today passed An Act to ensure legal parentage equality, extending the full rights of parentage to LGBTQ+ families and families created via assisted reproduction.

The bill dismantles archaic legal barriers to basic parenting responsibilities for modern families, opening the door to legally attend and make decisions during medical appointments, manage a child’s finances, participate in educational decisions, and provide authorizations for a child’s travel.

“Ensuring that the Commonwealth’s laws reflect an evolving society, along with the implications of modern technology, is a key responsibility that we have as elected officials. By bolstering protections for children born through assisted reproduction, surrogacy, and to same-sex parents, we are doing just that,” said House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano (D-Quincy). “I want to thank Chairman Day, members of the conference committee, and our partners in the Senate for their continued commitment to ensuring that modern-day families are protected here in Massachusetts.”

“Today we are modernizing laws to match modern families across the Commonwealth,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “No matter what path you took to parenthood, today the Legislature has acted to make sure that in Massachusetts archaic beliefs and laws no longer stand in your way as a parent. I offer my sincere gratitude to Senator Cyr for his leadership of the committee, each conferee, and our partners in the House.”

Read more here.