Massachusetts Parentage Act

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. Check out our Massachusetts Parentage Act FAQ to learn about how it will impact your family.

Register for our upcoming webinar:

What You Need to Know About the MPA and Its Protections for Your Family​
Thursday, November 14 | 7–8pm​
An info session for parents, families and community members​ to learn about the new law and its impact on Massachusetts families
Register: GLAD.org/MPA-info-session

​Did you miss the October 8 webinar for lawyers and organizations? Watch the recording and access resources.

The Massachusetts Parentage Act (MPA) updates Massachusetts’ outdated parentage law so that it is clear, equitable, and provides legal protection for all families, including LGBTQ+ families.

Who supports the MPA

The Massachusetts Parentage Act is widely supported by local families and these state officials, associations, and partner organizations:

• Governor Maura Healy and Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell: Coalition Calls on Passage of Mass Parentage Act Following Michigan Governor’s Action Today
• Boston City Council: City Council Supports Massachusetts Parentage Act
• Boston Globe Editorial Board: Parents through IVF, surrogacy need equal protection
• Massachusetts Lawyer’s Weekly: Legislature must act on surrogacy issues

Check out the full list of supporters.

Get involved and take action

• Thank your lawmakers for passing the MPA!
• Get updates from the MPA Coalition.
• Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for updates and share posts to help spread the word.
• Show your support: Download the MPA Coalition badge and make it your social media profile picture.
• Wear your support with an MPA t-shirt!
• Learn more about the impact of parentage reform from Massachusetts families.
• Download and share the MPA Fact Sheet and family stories.

Why we need to update Massachusetts parentage law

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 bill 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 of our neighboring states, including Vermont and Maine, have passed similar parentage legislation. 

Recognizing all families

The MPA updates Massachusetts law so that it is constitutional, and it protects all children, regardless of the circumstances of their birth. Among other important protections, the MPA provides clarity on how to establish parentage for children born through assisted reproduction, surrogacy, and to same-sex parents who aren’t married. As the law stands now, children are not treated equally, with some having to wait six months or longer to establish their parent-child relationship. That is too long to wait and leaves children and families vulnerable.

Massachusetts families can’t wait any longer for equal access to family protections. Love makes families, and we need our laws to protect them.

Family stories

Visit the family stories landing page (downloadable version)

J. Shia’s parentage story (download)

Testimony from Jess (download)

Simone’s family (download)

Shannon’s family (download)

Sylvia, Jane, and baby R (download)

Karen’s story (download)

Media: Press coverage, blogs, and videos

• Telegram & Gazette: Law opens door to establishing parental rights for Mass. families
• Bay Windows: Legislature Enacts Massachusetts Parentage Act to Protect Children of LGBTQ Parents
• Mombian: LGBTQ Families and Advocates Celebrate Signing of Massachusetts Parentage Act
• WAMC: Mass. Gov. Maura Healey signs Parentage Act, expanding parental rights and inclusivity
• WWLP: New parentage law aligns with reproductive technologies
• MassLive: With Gov. Healey’s signature, Mass.’ definition of parenthood gets a historic update
• GBH: ‘A long time coming’: Families, advocates celebrate new parentage legislation in Mass.

Click for more media, press coverage, blogs, and videos

Find more family stories here

The Massachusetts Parentage Act is supported by local families and these partner organizations: