House Advances Petri Bill to Ease Adoptions in Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG – By a unanimous vote, the House Children and Youth Committee today approved legislation sponsored by Rep. Scott Petri that would make it easier for those seeking to adopt a child to do so in Pennsylvania.
House Bill 1526 would reduce the amount of time birth parents have to revoke consent for an adoption from 30 days to 14 days after a birth mother gives her formal consent. Petri’s bill 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.
“Thousands of children are currently awaiting adoption in Pennsylvania, yet our state laws are making adoption so difficult that frustrated adoptive parents are going out of state or out of the country to adopt children,” said Petri. “A significant source of that frustration is the fact that you could adopt a child and begin the process of bonding only to have the child reclaimed by the birth parents in 30 days. My bill would reduce the wait to 14 days.”
Petri’s bill would also eliminate the timetable for a birth parent or putative father who has consented to an adoption to challenge the validity of that consent.
“My goal with this legislation is to improve Pennsylvania’s reputation as an adoption-friendly state, increasing the likelihood that Pennsylvania children will be adopted,” said Petri. “Instead of placing children in loving homes, current law is leaving many birth mothers with no choice other than to put their children in foster care. That should not be happening.”
The House Children and Youth Committee has also passed several other bills that Petri has worked on over the past eight years, such as reimbursing reasonable expenses of the birth mother to ensure a healthy baby. This includes bus fare to well-baby visits and reasonable living expenses.
House Bill 1526 now goes to the full House for consideration.
Representative Scott Petri
178th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Donna Pinkham
dpinkham@pahousegop.com
RepPetri.com