'Marlo's law' signed by Polis at Pueblo City Hall, eliminating some adoption requirements

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill into law Monday at Pueblo City Hall to ensure that parents who use assisted reproductive technology have equal protections under the law, regardless of their gender.

"This bill is very simple," Polis said at the signing. "It just makes it easier and reduces paperwork for counties and for both parents of a child through assisted reproduction to be the parents of a child, instead of one parent having to do an adoption process, which takes time and costs the county money.

"This makes it automatic, just like it is for non-assisted reproduction," Polis. "This bill really affirms our commitment to a Colorado for all."

Formerly called the "family affirmation act," the bill was renamed in honor of the baby daughter of Colorado House Majority Leader Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo, and her wife, Heather Palm.

"When I was carrying Marlo as the birth mother, my wife realized that even though she was the biological parent, she had no actual legal rights to Marlo unless she went through a step-parent adoption, which we thought was incredibly unfair," Esgar said.

Adoption is a costly, lengthy process, involving steps such as in-home evaluation and background checks, Esgar said. Most parents do not have to go through that process, she noted.

Both Esgar and Palm are listed as Marlo's mothers on her birth certificate.

"We were kind of flabbergasted that was the law of the state and are making sure we can figure out how to make this process easier for folks," Esgar said.

The bill provides a form for parents to fill out to ensure that, within the state of Colorado, they will be recognized as a child's parent.

Esgar and Palm will still go through the adoption process, as there is no federal protection guaranteeing Palm legal rights to their child in other states.

"If we go to another state and something happens and they don't (legally) recognize her, she may not be allowed in the hospital," said Esgar. "It's back to the inequities we face in parts of our world and especially here in our country.

"But here in the state, we want to streamline the process, and make it easier, make sure that folks who come together and start a family are recognized as such."

More: From teammates to brothers: Adopted South wrestler finding his stride on and off the mat

Before the signing ceremony Monday, Polis signed a bill that will give $500 per individual or $1,000 per couple to Colorado residents who lived in the state for all of 2021 and fulfill a number of other requirements.

"(Coloradoans) need to keep up with rising costs, gas, groceries. This $500 per person, $1,000 per couple will be in your pockets by the end of summer, and will help you hold onto your hard-earned money," said Polis.

The refunds are required by Colorado's Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, or TABOR, which says that if the state exceeds its constitutional spending limit, it is required to refund the excess state revenues to taxpayers.

Contact Justin at Jreutterma@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @jayreutter1. 

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: 'Marlo's law' signed by Colorado governor at Pueblo City Hall