Bill > H1509

This bill aims to protect victims of rape and children conceived during the commission of such an offense. The key provisions are: 1. It allows a married woman to file a petition with the court to terminate her husband's parental rights if the child was conceived as a result of rape, as defined under Sections 22 or 22A of Chapter 265 of the Massachusetts General Laws or similar laws in other jurisdictions. The court will accept a guilty plea or conviction for unlawful sexual battery as conclusive proof that the child was conceived through a violation of criminal law, and there is a presumption that termination of parental rights is in the best interest of the child in such cases. 2. It also allows the mother of a child born as a result of rape, as defined under the same sections of the law, to file a petition with the court to terminate the perpetrator's parental rights. Again, the court will accept a guilty plea or conviction for unlawful sexual battery as conclusive proof, and there is a presumption that termination of parental rights is in the best interest of the child.

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https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H1509