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Advocates push to end publication requirement for legal name changes, citing safety and privacy concerns
Summary
Transgender, survivor‑support and civil‑liberties groups urged the committee to advance S.1045 to remove mandatory newspaper publication and allow courts to seal name-change petitions for safety, arguing the current rule heightens risks for transgender people and survivors of abuse.
A coalition of transgender advocates, survivors’ groups and legal‑rights organizations urged the Joint Committee on the Judiciary to report S.1045 favorably, a bill that would remove the longstanding newspaper publication requirement and permit courts to seal legal name‑change petitions when safety concerns exist. Advocates told the committee the current Massachusetts process requires petitioners to publish name‑change notices in local newspapers and leaves name‑change petitions available in some court public records, exposing petitioners’ prior identities and personal information. They said mandatory publication imposes financial costs and safety risks, particularly for transgender…
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