Jun. 21, 2016
HARRISBURG – The House today approved legislation sponsored by Rep. Scott Petri (R-Bucks) that would reduce the amount of time birth parents have to revoke consent for an adoption from 30 days to 14 days after formal consent is given. Petri said he hopes the shorter waiting period provided in
House Bill 1526 would encourage those seeking to adopt a child to do so in Pennsylvania.
“Thousands of children are currently awaiting adoption in Pennsylvania, yet our laws are making adoption so difficult that frustrated adoptive parents are going out of state or out of the country to adopt a child,” said Petri. “Current laws are also leaving many birth parents with no choice but to put their children in foster care.”
Petri’s legislation originally sought to reduce the consent revocation period to five days, but it was amended in committee to allow birth parents two weeks to make that decision. Petri’s bill would also alter the timeframe for a birth parent or putative father to challenge the validity of their consent for adoption by requiring the petition alleging fraud or duress to be filed prior to the termination of parental rights.
Petri has worked on several adoption-related bills over the past eight years, which are now being considered. One involves reimbursement for reasonable expenses of the birth mother to ensure a healthy baby. This includes bus fare to well-baby visits and reasonable living expenses.
In other action, the House advanced Petri’s bill to modify the structure of the Philadelphia Parking Authority Board to require that the majority of the six-member board in first-class cities be residents of the municipality.
House Bill 1998 would also require that each member be a resident of the county or work or maintain a business in the municipality served by the authority. The measure would bring the Philadelphia Parking Authority under the same rules as other parking authorities in the Commonwealth.
Both bills now go to the Senate for consideration.
Representative Scott Petri
178th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Donna Pinkham
dpinkham@pahousegop.com
RepPetri.com