New Hampshire May Allow Gays To Adopt

CONCORD, NH -- The New Hampshire House voted Wednesday to allow same-sex couples to adopt, moving N.H. one step closer to an end to a patchwork of legal rulings in counties throughout the state.

Even though New Hampshire repealed a ban on gay adoptions in 1999, gay parents have been unable to adopt a partner's children in some counties due to different interpretations of the law by probate court judges.

Under the new New Hampshire state law, single men and women, gay or straight, would no longer be barred from adopting children in any county.

The legislation also would allow other unmarried pairs, such as a brother and sister, to adopt a younger sibling if their parents died.

The 234-127 vote sent the bill to the Senate.