Vermont Passes Adoption Legislation

Vermont continues to lead on ensuring all families are protected & treated equally with passage of a new law making it easier for parents who have had a child through assisted reproduction to confirm their parentage through adoption. Co-sponsor of H.98 Rep. Martin LaLonde stated, “Parents who use assisted reproduction, in Vermont & elsewhere, continue to face the reality that other states may discriminate against them & refuse to recognize their legal status as parents because of a lack of genetic connection — especially if the parents are LGBTQ. Although Vermont recognizes parents who use assisted reproduction with donor gametes as legal parents, other states may not. With an adoption decree, if the family travels or moves to another state, that state must recognize the parents’ legal relationships to their children. Streamlining the adoption process enables families to more easily obtain this important layer of protection.” Polly Crozier, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders Director of Family Advocacy concluded, “This is an important step toward ensuring that LGBTQ+ families in Vermont are able to protect themselves wherever they may travel. With extremists escalating their attacks on LGBTQ+ people across the country, parents are justifiably seeking paths to secure their legal parent-child relationship, including through adoption decrees, which are easily recognizable & must receive respect in all jurisdictions. Vermont joins nine other states with confirmatory adoption laws & we expect others will follow their lead. We’re thankful to Representatives Rachelson & LaLonde for championing this bill & to Governor Scott for signing it into law.” The law was passed as LGBTQ families grow more concerned about attacks on LGBTQ people at the federal level & in states that are less LGBTQ friendly than Vermont.