Bill > HB414

This bill enacts the Uniform Deployed Parents Custody and Visitation Act, which establishes comprehensive legal provisions for managing child custody and visitation when a parent is deployed in the military. The legislation creates a detailed framework that allows deployed parents to temporarily delegate custodial responsibilities to family members or spouses through either a voluntary agreement with the other parent or a court order. Key provisions include requiring deployed parents to provide timely notice of deployment, allowing parents to create flexible custody arrangements during deployment, and protecting the deployed parent's custody rights upon return. The bill specifies that a court cannot consider a parent's military deployment itself as a factor in determining the child's best interests, but can consider any significant impacts of the deployment. The legislation also establishes procedures for expedited hearings, electronic testimony, and temporary custodial arrangements, ensuring that deployed parents can maintain meaningful relationships with their children while protecting the child's welfare. Additionally, the bill repeals existing statutes about child custody during military deployment and creates a new comprehensive chapter in Pennsylvania law that provides clear guidelines for managing custody during a parent's military service.

Budget and Finance, Justice

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2025&sind=0&body=H&type=B&bn=414