House orders third reading of amendments to Vermont Parentage Act

Representative Goslant, reporting for the Judiciary Committee, told members that H.745 updates the 2018 Vermont Parentage Act with several narrowly tailored changes: alternatives to providing a Social Security number during proceedings when a party lacks one; allowing courts to consider evidence of pre-birth intent to parent when adjudicating competing parentage claims; a process to challenge presumed parentage after a two-year time limit in some cases; clarified treatment of assisted reproductive technology and gestational carriers (including allowing written or oral preconception agreements and education/counseling requirements rather than mandatory medical evaluations); and a directive that uncontested parentage orders be issued promptly.

Goslant said the bill largely reflects feedback gathered after the 2018 act and makes technical and clarifying changes designed to reflect modern family-formation methods. He summarized committee witnesses from judicial and child-support offices, GLBTQ legal advocates, legislative counsel and a chief superior judge, and reported the committee vote as recorded in the transcript as "902." Members indicated support; the committee amendment was adopted on the floor and third reading was ordered. The act is presented with an effective date of July 1, 2024.