For Immediate Release
Contact: Katherine Levasseur
Office of the Speaker of the House
KLevasseur@leg.state.vt.us
(802) 828-2245
The Vermont House today gave approval to H.562, a bill pertaining to parentage. In 2017, the Legislature created a study committee in response to the Vermont Supreme Court’s request to provide legislative recommendations to modernize Vermont’s parentage laws to recognize the changing nature of Vermont families. H.562 is the result of the Parentage Study Committee’s work.
“This bill provides much needed clarification in our legal parentage laws by recognizing the many ways Vermonters become parents, whether that is by giving birth, adoption, surrogacy, genetically, through court action, de facto parenting, and more” said House Judiciary Chair, Representative Maxine Grad. “This bill helps children stay connected to those who have assumed the role of parent over time, regardless of biology. It addresses the realities that Vermonters face today, particularly in light of the increased use of reproduction and gestational surrogacy to create families. It also ensures equality for all children and families by ensuring the law does not discriminate on the basis of marital status or gender and promotes the welfare of Vermont children.”
“The bottom line is that this bill is about love and supporting children,” added House Speaker Mitzi Johnson. “Parenting takes many forms, and we need these strong family connections to ensure that our communities remain healthy and secure.”