Politics & Government
New Rights For Non-Biological Parents
A new bill was signed in California that would give more rights to non-biological parents.
A bill that would strengthen the legal rights of non-biological parents in California was signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday. The Protection of Parent-Child Relationships Act, AB 1349, was written by Assemblyman Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo.
Sponsored by Equality California and the Association of California Adoption Lawyers, the bill would allow courts leeway in cases where there is both a non-biological parent who has an established relationship with a child and a man who has signed a voluntary declaration of paternity.
It was written in response to a ruling that said the courts could not recognize a non-biological parent who has raised a child if another man has signed a voluntary paternity declaration, even though the biological father had no relationship with the child and or any intention of raising him.
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"Parenting is more than just biology," Hill said. "It's about nurturing and a sacred bond between and a child and a guardian that should not be severed by external forces."
The law would also apply to situations where a same-sex couple has split up and the non-biological parent is seeking legal recognition. Currently, if a sperm donor has signed a declaration of paternity, the courts could not recognize the non-biological parent.
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--Bay City News
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