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HD 4246

An Act repealing an ill-considered family law statute

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by John Gaskey

Repeals Chapter 166 of the 2024 Acts, the Legal Parentage Equality Act, removing the current legal parentage framework and likely restoring pre-2024 rules for families and courts.

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Bill Summary · HD 4246

Summary of HD 4246: An Act repealing an ill-considered family law statute

Purpose and intent

  • The bill seeks to repeal Chapter 166 of the Acts of 2024, described in its title as the “Legal Parentage Equality Act.”
  • In short, it would strike down the 2024 act in its entirety, removing the statutory framework established for legal parentage equality.

Key provisions

  • Repeal language: “Chapter 166 of the Acts of 2024 is hereby repealed.”
  • The bill does not, in the text provided, propose any replacement provisions or new framework for parentage; no alternative child-parent relationship rules are introduced within this bill itself.
  • There is no stated effective date within the excerpt; the repeal would take effect according to standard legislative publication rules (subject to passage and any general effective-date provisions that apply to repeals).

Who or what would be affected

  • Legal parentage framework: Individuals and families relying on the 2024 Legal Parentage Equality Act would be impacted, as the act’s provisions would be removed.
  • Government and courts: The judiciary and relevant state agencies administering family law (e.g., on issues of parentage, parental rights, and related processes) would revert to the pre-2024 statutory regime unless new laws are enacted.
  • Legal practitioners and policymakers: Attorneys, judges, and state policymakers would need to adapt to the absence of the 2024 act and potentially revert to prior standards for establishing legal parentage.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Sponsor and filing: Representative John R. Gaskey of Carver is listed as sponsor; the bill is introduced in the 194th General Court (2025-2026).
  • House docket: Filed as House, No. 1722 (HD 4246) with the accompanying bill text dated January 17, 2025.
  • Status: The provided information does not include a current status or passage progress. The bill is described as “proposed,” with an introduction in the 2025-2026 session.
  • Dates in source material: The bill text references filing on 1/17/2025; the bill’s title and introduction date in the user-provided data also note a 11/29/2025 introduction date, indicating potential updates or multiple actions within the same session.

Summary assessment

HD 4246 is a straightforward repeal measure targeting Chapter 166 of the Acts of 2024 (the Legal Parentage Equality Act). If enacted, it would remove the 2024 framework for legal parentage without presenting a replacement policy in the bill itself. The repeal would likely restore or require the prior statutory approach to parentage, with corresponding implications for families, individuals, and state authorities administering family law.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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