South Delco News

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has unanimously approved a bill proposed by Representative Craig Williams, aimed at updating custody and visitation laws for deployed military parents. The legislation seeks to address the challenges faced by servicemembers in maintaining parental rights during deployment.

"As a Marine Colonel who retired after 28 years of service, I’ve witnessed the trauma military families face during deployment, which often includes struggles with divorce and child custody," said Williams. "When I was a Marine Major, I was the Director of the largest legal assistance center in the Marine Corps. Family-law issues dominated our caseloads, and in too many instances, the fact of deployment was used against servicemembers in court to make adverse child custody and visitation determinations."

Williams highlighted the complications that arise when a former spouse relocates to another state during a military deployment, leading to further legal battles over child-custody jurisdiction. "For the deployed parent, regaining fair custody or even visitation while deployed or when they return home can be a nightmare," he added.

House Bill 2287 aims to prevent any permanent changes in custody arrangements if a servicemember is deployed for more than 30 days. It also seeks to protect visitation rights during such deployments. Additionally, the bill proposes that video and phone calls be included as part of temporary custody orders, allowing children to maintain contact with their deployed parents.

This legislative effort was developed with input from the United States Department of Defense and the Uniform Law Commission. It is supported by the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Family Law Section. While several states have enacted laws addressing aspects of this issue, 16 states have adopted language specific to Williams’ proposal.

"My legislation will safeguard the parental rights of mothers and fathers serving in uniform while they are keeping us safe," Williams stated.

The bill will now move forward for consideration by the Senate.