LGBTQ parents to get new protections under Mass. parentage bill

[Lori Dee]

'Incredibly overdue': Mass. Senate passes updated parentage law that would expand protections for LGBTQ parents
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Boston Globe - Anjali Huynh Globe Staff
Updated July 30, 2024, 5:24 p.m.

Massachusetts senators unanimously voted on Tuesday to approve legislation that would expand who legally qualifies as a parent, including in cases where a parent might not have genetic ties to their child — a move viewed as a win especially for LGBTQ parents who can face hurdles in establishing parentage.

The Massachusetts Parentage Act, ... now heads into negotiations between House and Senate leaders. Both chambers must approve an identical version of the bill before it can head to Governor Maura Healey, who expressed her support for it months ago ...

Under existing Massachusetts law, which supporters of the legislation said has not been updated in decades, nonbiological parents at times need to formally adopt their children to secure the same parental rights as a birth parent. Those rights include maintaining custody of a child and handling their medical decisions.

The legislation would modernize parentage definitions by removing out-of-date language such as references to "children born out of wedlock" and adding definitions for terms including "assisted reproduction," "donor," and "intended parent." Other New England states, including Connecticut and Maine, have passed similar updated parentage laws in recent years.

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