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SB 2507

Mississippi Money Transmission Modernization Act; enact.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by John Polk

Expands and clarifies legal parentage for children born via assisted reproduction or surrogacy, easing establishment of parentage and limiting use of genetic testing.

Died In Committee
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Bill Summary · SB 2507

Summary — SB 2507 (Equality for Every Family Act) — Introduced 2025

Note: the provided packet contains inconsistent metadata (a heading referencing a “Mississippi Money Transmission Modernization Act”), but the full text/committee substitute attached to SB 2507 is an Illinois measure titled the Equality for Every Family Act that amends the Illinois Parentage Act of 2015 and related statutes. This summary is based on the bill text as introduced in the Illinois 104th General Assembly (sponsor: Sen. Don Harmon).

Purpose / Intent

The bill would modernize Illinois parentage law to ensure equal legal recognition of parent–child relationships for families formed by assisted reproduction and surrogacy, and to simplify and stabilize parentage determinations. It affirms as public policy that children have the same rights to parentage regardless of their parents’ marital status, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or circumstances of birth (including assisted reproduction or surrogacy).

Key provisions

  • Public policy declaration: explicitly recognizes equal parentage rights for children born via assisted reproduction or surrogacy.
  • Burden of proof: lowers the standard for challenging a presumption of parentage from “clear and convincing evidence” to a “preponderance of the evidence.”
  • Acknowledgment of parentage: allows the birth parent and an alleged genetic parent, a presumed parent, or an intended parent (under assisted reproduction rules) to sign a voluntary acknowledgment of parentage to establish legal parentage.
  • Limits on genetic testing: prohibits use of genetic testing to (a) challenge parentage of a person who is a parent by assisted reproduction under the Parentage Act or the Gestational Surrogacy Act, and (b) establish parentage of a donor.
  • Assisted reproduction parentage: provides that an individual who consents to assisted reproduction with intent to be a parent is legally a parent of the resulting child.
  • Gestational Surrogacy Act amendments: adds rules addressing consequences if a surrogate’s marital status changes and clarifies termination rules for gestational surrogacy agreements.
  • Adoption Act amendment: creates a process for confirmatory adoption for children born through assisted reproduction (to confirm parentage where appropriate).
  • Definitions: updates and adds definitions (e.g., assisted reproduction, donor, gestational surrogate, genetic testing).
  • Effective date: the bill text states “effective immediately” if enacted.

Note: an amendment text in the packet also inserts a definition for “payroll processing service provider” (a money-transmission–style definition). That insertion appears inconsistent with the parentage-focused bill and may reflect legislative drafting/committee-substitute activity combining disparate provisions.

Who would be affected

  • Children born through assisted reproduction or gestational surrogacy (legal clarity and stability).
  • Intended parents, birth parents, gestational surrogates, donors, alleged genetic parents, presumed parents, and courts handling parentage disputes.
  • Adoption agencies and attorneys handling confirmatory adoptions after assisted reproduction.
  • Potentially payroll/payment service providers only insofar as the anomalous amendment text (if retained) carries money-transmission implications — see note below.

Procedural history & status

  • Introduced in the Illinois Senate by Sen. Don Harmon (first reading 2/7/2025). Multiple co‑sponsors were added.
  • Committee substitute adopted and amended in committee; amendment(s) added (including the payroll-processing definitional insertion).
  • Transmitted to the House and referred to relevant House committees (Banking & Financial Services; Business & Financial Institutions).
  • Final status in the provided record: Died in Committee (not enacted).

Potential impact / practical effect

  • Would make it easier to establish and harder (in certain cases) to successfully challenge legal parentage of intended parents and parents through assisted reproduction, increasing legal certainty for families created by ART and surrogacy.
  • Lowering the evidentiary standard for challenging presumptions of parentage could increase the number of successful challenges in some cases (outside the assisted-reproduction protections).
  • Restricting genetic testing in assisted‑reproduction cases prioritizes intent, agreements, and statutory parentage over biological proof, reducing litigation risk for intended parents.
  • Confirmatory-adoption process offers a streamlined path to full parental rights for intended parents when necessary.

Notes / caveats

  • The packet contains conflicting headings and an odd insertion about “payroll processing service provider,” suggesting either a drafting/clerical error or a committee substitute that combined unrelated changes. Consult the official Illinois General Assembly bill text and legislative docket for the authoritative final language and any chamber-specific amendments.
  • The bill, as provided, did not become law (died in committee).

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

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