BOSTON — Gov. Charlie Baker has signed the bill closing a longstanding legal loophole in Massachusetts by signing a law that will allow older siblings and other relatives to adopt their younger relatives.
“In recent years, the Commonwealth has made great strides to expand the legal definition of ‘family,’” said Sen. Joan B. Lovely, D-Salem, who filed the Senate version of the bill. “I am pleased to have sponsored (this bill) to better reflect and support residents across our Commonwealth who love and care for another.”
Lovely said at the time that the bill passed the Senate that the importance of closing this legal loophole has been heightened during the pandemic, as many young people’s parents have died from the disease. Massachusetts was formerly one of only two states that did not allow people to adopt their younger siblings, aunts or uncles.
