Protecting LGBTQ Families in Rhode Island

Victory! On July 21, 2020, Governor Raimondo signed the Rhode Island Uniform parentage Act into law with families in attendance and speaking on behalf of RIPE. Read more.

Visit the Rhode Islanders for Parentage Equality coalition page to learn more about the families and community partners who made this victory possible.

Rhode Island Uniform Parentage Act: Frequently Asked Questions

What You Need to Know Before January 1, 2021

The Rhode Island Uniform Parentage Act updates Rhode Island law to clarify who can be a parent and how to establish parentage. These critical reforms recognize the diversity of families in Rhode Island and ensure that all children can have their legal parentage established regardless of the circumstances of their birth. The current Rhode Island parentage law is out-of-date and unconstitutional.

Click here for the full text of Senate Bill 0789

Click here for the full text of House Bill 6707

Click here for a fact sheet about the legislation

Sara Watson speaking at Rhode Island State House 

GLAD Senior Staff Attorney Patience Crozier

discussing S0789 at RI Senate

Testimonies:

Senior Staff Attorney Patience Crozier (House Judiciary Committee, February 26, 2019)

Senior Staff Attorney Patience Crozier (Senate, April 25, 2019)

Senior Staff Attorney Patience Crozier (House, March 20, 2019)

UC Davis School of Law, Professor of Law and MLK Jr. Research Scholar, Courtney Joslin (April 24, 2019)

Related News Articles:

Providence Journal; A new path to legal parenthood

UpriseRI.com; Parentage Act to study commission

UpriseRI.com; Parents and advocates urge house speaker

Courtney Joslin’s Yale Law Journal Article, “Nurturing Parenthood Through the UPA”

Updates:

February 26, 2020: RIPE press event was followed by a powerful hearing before the House Judiciary Committee on the Rhode Island Uniform Parentage Act. Watch video coverage from WPRI of the hearing here.

February 13, 2020: The House version of this bill, Rhode Island Uniform Parentage Act, was introduced into the RI House of Representatives. Read the statement here.

February 11, 2020: The Senate votes unanimously for SB2136 Sub A. This is an important step forward for Rhode Island Families. Learn more.

June 7, 2019: The Parentage Act passes unanimously in the Rhode Island Senate.

June 26, 2019: The House votes to send the Rhode Island Parentage Act (RIPA) to a study commission.

The Rhode Island Parentage Act updates Rhode Island law to clarify who can be a parent and how to establish parentage. These critical reforms recognize the diversity of families in Rhode Island and ensure that all children can have their legal parentage established regardless of the circumstances of their birth. The current Rhode Island parentage law is out-of-date and unconstitutional.

Now in Rhode Island, many children and families remain vulnerable because they have no clear route to establish their parentage. Rhode Island has no statutes clarifying parentage for children born through assisted reproduction, and no statutes regarding parentage through surrogacy.

The Rhode Island Parentage Act is based on the Uniform Parentage Act of 2017, which is a model, uniform law that advises all states to ensure that their parentage statutes apply equally to LGBTQ families among other suggested updates.

On March 20, 2019, GLAD Senior Attorney Patience Crozier submitted testimony to the Rhode Island House Committee on Judiciary in support of H. 5707 – An act relating to domestic relations – Uniform Parentage Act (“Rhode Island Parentage Act”). Read it here.

On April 25, 2019, GLAD Senior Attorney Patience Crozier submitted testimony to the Rhode Island Senate Committee on Judiciary in support of S. 0789 – An act relating to domestic relations – Uniform Parentage Act (“Rhode Island Parentage Act”). Read it here.

The RI legislature is also considering H5706/S0497 the Rhode Island Confirmatory Adoption Act. Read more.