Massachusetts Senate Unanimously Passes Parentage Act

Historic Bill Awaits Final Enactment Before Heading to Governor

The Massachusetts Senate today voted unanimously to pass An act to ensure legal parentage equality，更广为人知的是 马萨诸塞州亲子法, a historic piece of legislation that will protect LGBTQ+ families, and children born through surrogacy and assisted reproduction, in forming the legal bond of a parent-child relationship. The bill now awaits final enactment before it heads to Governor Maura Healey’s desk for her signature. Governor Healey has stated strong support for the legislation.

“Today, Massachusetts took a major step forward in ensuring that all families are treated equally under our laws,” said Polly Crozier, Director of Family Advocacy at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders. “We are grateful to the many people, families, and advocates who have fought for years to get to this point. We thank the Senate leadership, Senate Sponsors Senators Julian Cyr and Bruce Tarr, Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Jamie Eldridge and the many Senators on both sides of the aisle who voted unanimously to pass the MPA today. With this vote the Massachusetts Senate demonstrated that fairness under the law is for everyone. We look forward to seeing the Massachusetts Parentage Act enacted and signed into law soon.”

The Massachusetts Parentage Act updates Massachusetts statutes to clarify who can be a parent and how to establish parentage. This bill is critical to ensuring that all children can access the security of legal parentage, regardless of the circumstances of their birth, including through assisted reproduction and surrogacy.

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

The bill’s bipartisan sponsors include Democrat Senator Julian Cyr, Republican Senator Bruce Tarr, Democrat Representative Sarah Peake, Republican Representative Hannah Kane, and Democratic Representative Kay Khan. 

The Massachusetts Parentage Act is supported by a coalition of 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