TX HB5494

Expands the definition of "intended parent" to include any married or unmarried individual who manifests intent to be the legal parent of a child conceived through assisted reproduction, regardless of genetic relationship to the child

Removes the requirement that intended parents in a gestational agreement must be married to each other, allowing single individuals to enter into gestational surrogacy arrangements

Replaces gender-specific language throughout the parentage code, changing references from "husband/wife" to "spouse" and from "eggs or sperm" to "gametes" to create more inclusive terminology

Allows courts to establish parentage for intended parents even without signed consent if there is clear and convincing evidence of an express pre-conception agreement, or if the parties resided together with the child and represented themselves as parents during the first two years of the child's life

Removes the requirement that consent to assisted reproduction must be kept by a licensed physician, simplifying the documentation requirements for establishing parentage