Uniform Parentage (H 5706, H 5707, S 497, S 789)

We supported both H 5706 and H 5707, introduced by Representative Carol McEntee, and their Senate companion bills S 497 (introduced by Senator Gayle Goldin) and S 789 (introduced by Senator Erin Lynch Prata), which would have updated Rhode Island parentage and adoption laws to reflect the diversity of families that live in the state. The bills would have cleared up ambiguities by guaranteeing the right for LGBTQ families to establish parentage in a manner consistent with all other families and would have provided clear routes for parentage of children born through assisted reproduction. Although the Senate legislation passed on the floor, the House legislation died in committee. Instead, a House resolution was introduced to create a commission to study effective ways to legislate uniform parentage.