New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu signed into law a bill that expands access for adoption, notably for children of LGBTQ parents.
According to GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), the new law (HB 1162) ensures that unmarried parents can adopt children. For LGBTQ parents, it means they can confirm their parentage through adoption and that kids born through assisted reproduction can have their parental relationships secured through a court judgment of parentage.
GLAD worked with the ACLU of New Hampshire and State Rep. Ed Butler — a champion of LGBTQ legislation in the Granite State, notes GLAD — to move the bill through a legislative session made more challenging due to COVID-19.
“We appreciate so much the hard work of Rep. Butler to ensure this bill, which is so important to children and families, was still prioritized despite the difficulties of the pandemic,” said attorney Chrissy Hanisco, who also worked with the team to carry the bill into law.
“Parentage laws across the country are still catching up to the realities of how families are formed today,” said GLAD Senior Staff Attorney Polly Crozier. “More and more states, including nearby Rhode Island, which just this week enacted comprehensive parentage reform, are recognizing the need to provide more fair and equal access to parentage. With HB 1162 now signed into law, New Hampshire fills some key remaining holes in protections for children and families in the state.”
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