Featured in the AllPaths Magazine, 2024 Volume 2
By Kate Weldon LeBlanc
In Massachusetts, action on most substantive bills must be done during formal sessions of the House of Representatives and Senate. These formal sessions end on July 31st, which often makes for a frenzied start to August. Indeed, in the early morning hours of August 1st, the legislature enacted an Act to Ensure Legal Parentage Equality, better known as the Massachusetts Parentage Act (MPA). The MPA, which passed unanimously in both the House and Senate, was signed into law by Governor Maura Healey a few days later.
“It was 20 years ago when [Massachusetts] said love is love, secured marriage equality, and changed the world,” said Governor Healey at the ceremonial bill signing. “Today, we took action to say that what defines a family is love and commitment, not outdated notions of who should be a parent or how a child should come into the world. This is a victory for all families in Massachusetts who deserve to be treated equally under the law. We are grateful to advocates and our partners in the Legislature for their leadership in passing this long-overdue legislation.”