Parentage Equality for Massachusetts Families

The Massachusetts Parentage Act will affirm and protect our families, ensuring that all children can access the security of legal parentage.

VICTORY! Governor Healey signed the Massachusetts Parentage Act into law on August 9, after unanimous passage in the House and Senate. The historic new law, which goes into effect on January 1, 2025, will protect LGBTQ+ families and families formed through assisted reproduction. Stay tuned for more information and resources about how it will impact your family.

There are many paths to parenthood and many types of families in the Commonwealth, but Massachusetts statutes have not kept pace with modern science and the diversity of our families, leaving children vulnerable.

An Act to Ensure Legal Parentage Equality, known as the Massachusetts Parentage Act or MPA, 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.

This MPA is based on the Uniform Parentage Act, which serves as a uniform framework for ensuring the protection of the relationship between parents and children. Originally passed in 1973 to protect children born to unmarried people, the Uniform Parentage Act was most recently revised and approved in 2017. Several neighboring states, including Vermont and Maine, have passed similar parentage legislation.

For more information, visit MassParentage.org

Get involved:

• Learn more about the Massachusetts Parentage Act Coalition
• Read powerful stories from real families impacted by the state’s outdated parentage laws
• Check out and share media coverage of the MPA
• Follow the Massachusetts Parentage Act Coalition on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram