This bill establishes a new Chapter 461-C, which allows parents, legal guardians, or custodians to create caregiver authorization affidavits. These affidavits grant designated caregivers certain parental rights and responsibilities related to a minor's education and health care without transferring guardianship. Importantly, the rights conferred through the affidavit do not diminish the authorizing party's rights and responsibilities, and any conflicting decisions made by the caregiver will be overridden by the authorizing party's decisions. The bill also prohibits the use of these affidavits to bypass state or federal laws or to restore rights removed by a court.

Key changes introduced by HB 1377 include the removal of the two-year expiration limit for the affidavits, allowing them to remain in effect until the authorizing party provides written notice of amendment or revocation. The bill also eliminates the requirement for notaries to specify the type of identification used for verification and modifies the caregiver acknowledgment section by removing specific identifiers such as the caregiver's name and address. Caregivers are permitted to exercise concurrent rights and responsibilities without needing further consent from the child's parent or legal guardian, as long as these do not conflict with existing decisions made by the parent or guardian. The act is set to take effect on January 1, 2027.