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Advocates urge committee to end newspaper publication requirement for legal name changes to protect survivors and transgender people
Summary
Legislators on the Joint Committee on the Judiciary heard strong, unified testimony in favor of S.10‑45, which would eliminate the statewide newspaper publication requirement for court name changes and add safety‑oriented sealing procedures.
Legislators on the Joint Committee on the Judiciary heard strong, unified testimony in favor of S.10‑45, which would eliminate the existing statewide requirement that petitioners publish court name‑change notices in local newspapers and would create narrower, safety‑oriented procedures to keep petitions out of the public record in appropriate cases.
Supporters — including transgender advocacy organizations, legal‑aid groups and domestic‑violence coalitions — said the publication requirement imposes safety risks for survivors and transgender people, creates financial barriers (publication costs), and is obsolete as a public‑notice mechanism.
“My name should belong to me,” said Senator Joe Comerford in remarks supporting the bill. Advocates…
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