On August 9, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed into law “An act to ensure legal parentage equality,” which updates the state’s parentage laws for the first time in 40 years to make them more inclusive. This historic legislation ensures the rights and protections for parents who use surrogacy, in-vitro fertilization and assisted reproduction, while also updating the law to be more inclusive to LGBTQ+ parents.
“Our laws need to reflect the realities of modern families and the loving environments where children grow and flourish,” said Governor Healey. “This moment is a victory for all families in Massachusetts who deserve to be treated with dignity and to have their rights recognized and protected under the law. We are grateful to our partners in the Legislature for their leadership in advancing this important legislation, and thankful to all of the advocates who fought for years to make this a reality in Massachusetts.”
“This is commonsense, long overdue action that gives every family in Massachusetts, including many LGBTQ+ families, the legal protections they need and deserve,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “By updating these laws, we are putting outdated norms aside and paving the way for a brighter and more equitable future for families of all kinds.”
The bill updates the law to ensure that families enjoy the same rights and protections under law without regard to marital status, gender, gender identify or sexual orientation of the parents or the circumstances of the child’s birth, including whether the child was born as a result of assisted reproduction or surrogacy.
— from a Commonwealth of Massachusetts press release
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