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 確保父母合法平等的法案，更廣為人知的是 馬薩諸塞州親子法. 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 事實上 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.

目前，麻薩諸塞州是新英格蘭地區唯一沒有全面的親子關係法定保護的州。 

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 家庭建設、美國收養與輔助生殖律師協會、美國婦產科醫師學會（麻薩諸塞州）、麻薩諸塞州美國公民自由聯盟、美國生殖醫學學會、家庭與調解法院協會 - 麻薩諸塞州分會、BAGLY、Baystate Health、波士頓 IVF 生育診所、波士頓醫療中心、科德角醫療保健公司、生殖權利中心、麻薩諸塞州兒童聯盟、麻薩諸希代孕與卵子捐贈組織、青少年司法公民組織、COLAGE、公共律師服務委員會、Conceiveabilities、Csed Inc.（代孕與卵子捐贈中心）、東岸基金會、家庭平等組織、芬威健康組織、Fertility Within Reach、兒童之友、同性戀、同性戀、雙性戀、變性者、波士頓法律倡導者與捍衛者大地區PFLAG、人權運動組織、猶太法律與社會行動聯盟、考夫曼法律與調解組織、Keshet、麻省總醫院布里格姆、Mass NOW、Mass PPD 基金、馬薩諸塞州兒童權益倡導者、美國兒科學會馬薩諸塞州分會、馬薩諸塞州 LGBTQ 青年委員會、馬薩諸塞州婦女地位委員會、馬薩諸塞州 LGBTQ 律師協會、馬薩諸塞州婦女協會商會、麻薩諸塞州跨性別政治聯盟、MassEquality、心理健康法律顧問委員會、現代家庭法、Bruce Hale 律師、運動推進項目、全國社會工作者協會馬薩諸塞州分會、全國女同性戀權利中心、新英格蘭生育協會、新英格蘭代孕協會、Nichols, Delisle & Lightholder、OUTRWest、早期生殖計劃生育聯盟、馬薩諸塞州計劃生育聯盟、諸侯組織Works、SeedTrust、SEIU 509、Transhealth、波士頓基金會、麻省大學紀念健康中心和威廉斯性取向與性行為研究所性別認同法和公共政策。

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