The Vermont Statutes Online
The Statutes below include the actions of the 2024 session of the General Assembly.
NOTE: The Vermont Statutes Online is an unofficial copy of the Vermont Statutes Annotated that is provided as a convenience.
Title 15C : Parentage Proceedings
Chapter 008 : Parentage by Gestational Carrier Agreement
(Cite as: 15C V.S.A. § 803)-
§ 803. Parentage; parental rights and responsibilities
(a)(1) If a gestational carrier agreement satisfies the requirements of this chapter, the intended parent or parents are the parent or parents of the resulting child immediately upon the birth of the child, and the resulting child is considered the child of the intended parent or parents immediately upon the birth of the child. Neither the gestational carrier nor the gestational carrier’s spouse, if any, is the parent of the resulting child.
(2) A person who is determined to be a parent of the resulting child is obligated to support the child. The breach of the gestational carrier agreement by the intended parent or parents does not relieve the intended parent or parents of the obligation to support the resulting child.
(3) Notwithstanding subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection, if genetic testing indicates a genetic relationship between the gestational carrier who is not a known family member and the child, parentage shall be determined by the Family Division of the Superior Court pursuant to chapters 1 through 6 of this title.
(b) Parental rights and responsibilities shall vest exclusively in the intended parent or parents immediately upon the birth of the resulting child.
(c) If due to a laboratory error, the resulting child is not genetically related to either the intended parent or parents or any donor who donated to the intended parent or parents, the intended parent or parents are considered the parent or parents of the child unless otherwise determined by the court. (Added 2017, No. 162 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2023, No. 175 (Adj. Sess.), § 12, eff. July 1, 2024.)
