Pennsylvania Moves Closer to Recognizing All Families: House Bill 350 Advances
Pennsylvania has taken a meaningful step toward recognizing and protecting the full diversity of families in the state. House Bill 350, which would enact the Uniform Parentage Act of 2017, has successfully passed the Pennsylvania House and is now under review in the Senate.
This long-overdue legislation would bring legal clarity, consistency, and fairness to families formed through assisted reproduction, surrogacy, and donor conception. These family-building paths are increasingly common and deeply personal.
Why It Matters
Currently, many Pennsylvania families find themselves navigating legal gray areas simply because the state’s laws have not kept pace with modern family formation. House Bill 350 would change that:
✅ It ensures that same-sex couples are recognized as legal parents of children born through assisted reproduction, without requiring second-parent adoption or extra legal steps that heterosexual couples do not face.
✅ It replaces outdated “mother” and “father” terminology with gender-neutral language, using terms like “parent”. This ensures the law applies equitably to all families, regardless of the parents’ genders.
✅ By establishing legal parentage from birth, the bill ensures that children in LGBTQ+ families have access to inheritance, are eligible for benefits (e.g., health insurance, Social Security), and enjoy the emotional and legal security of having two recognized parents.
✅ The bill affirms that parentage is based on intent and agreement, not just biology. It legally validates the role of non-biological parents from the start, preventing situations where only the biological parent is recognized.
For Families, This Is Personal
Behind this bill are real families such as parents, children, and intended parents. They have all lacked clear legal protections. Whether formed through surrogacy, sperm or egg donation, or same-sex partnership, these families deserve the peace of mind that comes with being fully recognized under the law.
What’s Next?
House Bill 350 passed the Pennsylvania House with notable bipartisan support. This is a strong signal that lawmakers recognize the need to modernize how the state defines parentage. The bill now moves to the Senate Judiciary Committee, where it will undergo further review. While this is an encouraging step, the path ahead is not guaranteed. Similar efforts in past sessions stalled before reaching the governor’s desk.
Critics, such as the Pennsylvania Family Council, argue it grants too much weight to “intent-based parenthood” and bypasses judicial scrutiny. Real progress is within reach, but it will require persistence, education, and public support to ensure all families are fully recognized and protected under Pennsylvania law.
