Massachusetts House passes bill strengthening LGBTQ+ parents’ rights

BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts House lawmakers unanimously approved a bill Wednesday aimed at updating the state’s parentage laws to include LGBTQ+ parents and families that used methods such as assisted reproduction and surrogacy.

The bill would remove one of the last vestiges of Massachusetts law that treats same-sex parents and those who engage in assisted reproduction differently from every other parent, according to Democratic state Rep. Michael Day, House chair of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary.

Parental rights include the ability to attend and make decisions during medical appointments, manage a child’s finances, participate in educational decisions and provide authorizations for a child’s travel.

While Massachusetts legalized same-sex marriage 20 years ago, advocates say members of the LGBTQ+ community continue to face barriers in attaining full legal recognition as parents.

The bill would create a new path to legal parentage for people who have played the role of parent in a child’s life. It would also ensure every child has the same rights and protections to parentage without regard to the marital status, gender identity or sexual orientation of their parents, or the circumstances of their birth, according to supporters.

The legislation would also create paths to parentage for individuals or couples utilizing assisted reproduction and surrogacy in order to provide legal recognition and status before the child’s birth.

“Ensuring that the Commonwealth’s laws reflect an evolving society, along with the implications of modern technology, is a key responsibility that we have as elected officials,” said Democratic House Speaker Ronald Mariano. “By bolstering protections for children born through assisted reproduction, surrogacy, and to same-sex parents, we are doing just that.”

The bill would also legally recognize the importance of non-biological parents and affords individuals who have been acting in a meaningful parental role for a significant amount of time the opportunity to seek full legal rights.

The bill now heads to the Senate for their consideration.