Nov. 06, 2025
HARRISBURG – Rep. Jamie Flick (R-Lycoming/Union) is hosting a milestone day for child custody reform in Pennsylvania.
On Tuesday, Nov. 18, Flick is hosting a Policy Committee Hearing from 9-10:30 a.m. in the House Minority Caucus Room (418 Main Capitol Building, Harrisburg). A press conference will take place the same day on the steps of the Main Capitol Rotunda at 1:30 p.m.
The hearing and press conference will focus on
House Bill 1499, authored by Flick, which would ensure fairness in custody determinations and protect the rights of children to have equal access to both parents, provided they are willing and fit.
“This issue remains deeply personal for me as I have drawn from my own experiences in family court, fighting for years for equal custody of my children in an unjust system,” Flick said. “Every day I hear from fathers, mothers and grandparents from across the country who share their own experiences about the need for reform.”
The support for House Bill 1499 has been steadily growing. Several states including Kentucky, Arkansas, West Virginia, Florida and Missouri, have passed similar legislation, and experts believe as many as 20 others are close to passing similar laws.
“This is a bill aimed at protecting children,” Flick said. “Without shared parenting, children are more likely to struggle in school, face emotional challenges and fall into cycles that hurt their future.”
Pennsylvania has taken steps toward child custody reform. This past June, Gov. Josh Shapiro signed
House Bill 378, into law as Act 11 of 2025. This bill reduces the factors a judge considers during child custody cases from 19 to 12. Flick wrote an amendment to the bill, which was unanimously passed by the House, requiring the court to give everyone a copy of the new factors within 30 days of modifications being made so that every party, including parents who often represent themselves because hiring lawyers is so expensive, has fair access to information.
Flick was also a co-sponsor of House Bill 414, now
Act 40 of 2025, known as the Uniform Deployed Parents Custody and Visitation Act, which prohibits permanent custody changes during a parent’s military deployment. Gov. Shapiro signed the legislation into law at the end of October, which fixes a major flaw in the child custody system that allowed parents to use deployment as a reason to alter existing custody arrangements.
Now, House Bill 1499 has 29 co-sponsors, a mix of Republicans and Democrats.
“Nov. 18 is the date we will take the biggest step forward to advance my child custody reform,” Flick said. “We will have supporters from all over the country attending both events. It will be a meaningful day to highlight the need for fairness in custody cases and to show lawmakers the broad support for giving children equal access to both parents.”
Anyone planning to attend any of the events should register in advance by either calling Flick’s Williamsport Office at 570-321-1270, or by visiting his website,
RepFlick.com, and clicking on the “Events” tab. The website is also where those interested can submit written comments about this topic.