Parentage Act Secures Major Victory with Final Enactment by House and Senate

Governor Healey Has Voiced Support for Historic Legislation That Will Protect All Massachusetts Children and Families

BOSTON – After years of advocacy, the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate early Thursday morning enacted an 确保父母合法平等的法案，更广为人知的是 马萨诸塞州亲子法. The child-centered bill, which updates Massachusetts’ forty-year-old parentage statutes to be inclusive of LGBTQ+ families, families formed through assisted reproduction, and families that include a 事实上 or functional parent, now heads to Governor Maura Healey’s desk for her signature. Once signed into law, this historic legislation will ensure all children have equal access to the security of a legal parent-child relationship no matter the gender or marital status of their parents or how their family is formed. 

The bipartisan legislation was passed unanimously in both the House and Senate. Governor Healey has stated strong support for the bill.

“After more than seven years of advocacy, so many children and families in Massachusetts – and countless future generations – will now have the basic protections that legal parentage provides for children,” said Polly Crozier, Director of Family Advocacy at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD). “We thank Massachusetts legislators, especially the bill co-sponsors and the leaders of the House and Senate, for recognizing the importance of parentage equality and making it a priority to enact this bill.  We are now eager for Governor Healey to sign the MPA into law so that Massachusetts can ensure security for all children and families.” 

The MPA will update Massachusetts statutes to clarify who can be a parent and how to establish parentage. Legal parentage is critical for children’s wellbeing and security and this bill will ensure that all children can access the security of legal parentage regardless of the circumstances of their birth or the makeup of their family.

Currently, Massachusetts is the only state in New England without comprehensive statutory protections on parentage. 

The bill’s bipartisan sponsors include Senators Julian Cyr (D) and Bruce Tarr (R), Representatives Sarah Peake (D), Hannah Kane (R), and Kay Khan (D). 

The Massachusetts Parentage Act is supported by a coalition of parents, families and over 60 organizations: 

AllPaths 家庭建设、美国收养与辅助生殖律师协会、美国妇产科医师学会（马萨诸塞州）、马萨诸塞州美国公民自由联盟、美国生殖医学学会、家庭与调解法院协会 - 马萨诸塞州分会、BAGLY、Baystate Health、波士顿 IVF 生育诊所、波士顿医疗中心、科德角医疗保健公司、生殖权利中心、马萨诸塞州儿童法律中心、马萨诸塞州儿童联盟、Circle 代孕与卵子捐赠组织、青少年司法公民组织、COLAGE、公共律师服务委员会、Conceiveabilities、Csed Inc.（代孕与卵子捐赠中心）、东岸基金会、家庭平等组织、芬威健康组织、Fertility Within Reach、儿童之友、同性恋、同性恋、双性恋、变性者、法律倡导者与捍卫者 (GLAD)、大波士顿地区家庭法法院协会、大波士顿地区 PFLAG、人权运动组织、犹太法律与社会行动联盟、考夫曼法律与调解组织、Keshet、麻省总医院布里格姆、Mass NOW、Mass PPD 基金、马萨诸塞州儿童权益倡导者、美国儿科学会马萨诸塞州分会、马萨诸塞州 LGBTQ 青年委员会、马萨诸塞州妇女地位委员会、马萨诸塞州 LGBTQ 律师协会、马萨诸塞州 LGBTQ 政治核心小组、马萨诸塞州医学会、马萨诸塞州防止虐待儿童协会、马萨诸塞州 LGBT 商会、马萨诸塞州跨性别政治联盟、MassEquality、心理健康法律顾问委员会、现代家庭法、Bruce Hale 律师、运动推进项目、全国社会工作者协会马萨诸塞州分会、全国女同性恋权利中心、新英格兰生育协会、新英格兰代孕协会、Nichols, Delisle & Lightholder、OUT MetroWest、马萨诸塞州计划生育联盟、马萨诸塞州进步组织、生殖平等现在组织、RESOLVE：全国不孕不育协会、Roxbury Youth Works、SeedTrust、SEIU 509、Transhealth、波士顿基金会、麻省大学纪念健康中心和威廉姆斯性取向与性行为研究所性别认同法和公共政策。

Learn more about the Massachusetts Parentage Act