Bill > A04880

This bill establishes comprehensive legal provisions for parentage and adoption in New York, with a focus on families formed through assisted reproduction and allowing for the recognition of more than two parents. The legislation creates a new framework for "confirmatory adoptions" that simplifies the adoption process for parents who have children through assisted reproduction, allowing parents to petition for adoption with minimal legal barriers. Key provisions include allowing courts to recognize more than two parents if it is in the child's best interest, establishing presumptions of parentage for married couples and those who have lived with and publicly supported a child, and creating a process for challenging or adjudicating parentage claims. The bill removes previous restrictions on adoption, such as limiting adoption to only two parents, and provides a more flexible approach to defining parentage that takes into account the intentions of parents and the nature of their relationships with children. The legislation also updates various sections of family court and domestic relations laws to accommodate these new definitions of parentage and family structures, ensuring that children's best interests are paramount in legal determinations about their familial relationships.

Justice

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A4880