{"id":39667,"date":"2025-11-20T14:21:07","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T14:21:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/39667\/"},"modified":"2025-11-20T14:21:07","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T14:21:07","slug":"pennsylvania-will-be-gold-standard-for-fair-custody-rep-flick-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/39667\/","title":{"rendered":"Pennsylvania will be ‘gold standard’ for fair custody: Rep. Flick | News"},"content":{"rendered":"

Harrisburg, Pa. \u2014 It was standing-room-only during a hearing on Tuesday to examine House Bill 1499<\/a>, legislation sponsored by Rep. Jamie Flick (R-Lycoming\/Union) to reform Pennsylvania\u2019s child custody laws and ensure children can maintain meaningful relationships with both loving, fit parents.<\/p>\n

The hearing brought together lawmakers, family-law experts, judges, and parents whose personal experiences underscored the emotional, financial, and psychological toll of the current system. Testifiers emphasized the need for evidence-based custody standards that start from a presumption of shared parenting \u2014 an approach adopted by several other states.<\/p>\n

\"Policy<\/p>\n

Members who serve on the Policy Committee, from left to right, include Rep. Clint Owlett (R-Tioga\/Bradford), Rep. Jonathan Fritz (R-Susquehanna\/Wayne), Rep. Jill Cooper (R-Westmoreland), Rep.\u00a0Jamie\u00a0Flick\u00a0(R-Lycoming\/Union) and Rep. David Rowe (R-\u00a0R-Snyder\/Union\/Mifflin\/Juniata), Policy Committee chairman.<\/p>\n

Commonwealth Media Services<\/p>\n

\u201cThis issue is very personal for me, as I have drawn from my own experience in family court, fighting for years for equal custody of my children in an unjust system,\u201d\u00a0Flick\u00a0said. \u201cI was so glad to be joined by supporters from across the country who understand the urgent need for reform. This is a family bill aimed at protecting children.\u201d<\/p>\n

Flick described being limited to every-other-weekend visits despite being an involved father, recounting repeated continuances, false allegations, financial strain, and a court order that conditioned equal custody on continued child-support payments as though he had fewer overnights.<\/p>\n

Experts presented compelling testimony<\/p>\n

\"Custody<\/p>\n

Testifiers from the Policy Committee hearing, from left to right, include Hon. Mica Wood Pence, 43rd Circuit judge, Barren and Metcalfe counties in Kentucky; Greg Fellerman, founding partner, Fellerman and Ciarimboli Law; Teresa Sneed, founder, president and chief executive officer, National Family Justice; Hon. Tony Payton, former member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives.<\/p>\n

Commonwealth Media Services<\/p>\n

Testifiers at the Policy Committee hearing included Teresa Sneed, founder, president and chief executive officer, National Family Justice; Hon. Tony Payton, former member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives; Greg Fellerman, founding partner, Fellerman and Ciarimboli Law; and Hon. Mica Wood Pence, 43rd Circuit judge, Barren and Metcalfe counties in Kentucky.<\/p>\n

Former State Rep. Tony Payton shared his experience navigating custody battles across multiple states, including repeated unfounded allegations and years spent fighting for adequate parenting time. \u201cYou don’t fight for nine years because you’re a bad dad. You fight because you care,\u201d Payton said.<\/p>\n

Sneed, founder of National Family Justice, presented national data showing that shared parenting improves outcomes in academic performance, mental health, relationships, and long-term well-being. She noted that Pennsylvania currently earns a \u201cD\u201d rating for shared parenting policy. \u201cThis isn\u2019t a parental rights issue\u2014it\u2019s a children\u2019s rights issue, and the science is unequivocal,\u201d Sneed testified.<\/p>\n

In particularly powerful testimony, attorney Gregory Fellerman detailed how a 65\/35 custody order ultimately cost him more than a year of time with his daughter before her tragic death at age 20. \u201cFathers deserve equal treatment under the law. Tomorrow is promised to no one,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy custody order was 65\/35 and it breaks down to a little more than a year, 13 months, 56 weeks, 401 days, 9,624 hours taken from me,\u201d Fellerman said, becoming emotional. \u201cWe need change to prevent this type of injustice from occurring. I want to commend Rep.\u00a0Jamie\u00a0Flick\u00a0for all his hard work and dedication to solving this problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pence, a family court judge, traveled from Kentucky, where the state has adopted similar legislation. She spoke candidly about the initial hesitation of judges, lawyers and attorneys when the law was first introduced, noting that many feared it would complicate custody proceedings. However, she emphasized that the law has led to fewer courtroom battles and better outcomes for children.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe problem in Kentucky is that we were making an assumption,\u201d Pence said. \u201cI was wrong to be as worried as I was that this law wasn\u2019t going to work, but I am thankful Kentucky was on the cutting edge of this. The conversation changes when parents have equal power,\u201d she explained. \u201cIt has made families stronger, not weaker.\u201d<\/p>\n

Flick\u00a0also took questions during a personal question-and-answer session where people from all over the Commonwealth shared their frustrations and hopes for reform. When asked for an example of a gold standard to model Pennsylvania’s child custody reform policy, Flick said “Pennsylvania will be the gold standard.”<\/p>\n

Broad bipartisan interest<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never seen a hearing quite this robust,\u201d said House Judiciary Chairman Rob Kaufman (R-Franklin). \u201cThis is one of the most frequent issues constituents raise, and the testimony today shows why change is needed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPennsylvania families deserve custody laws that reflect the world we live in today. I commend Rep. Flick for his commitment to modernizing these laws,\u201d said\u00a0Rep. David H. Rowe (R-Snyder\/Union\/Mifflin\/Juniata),\u00a0House Republican Policy Committee chair.\u00a0\u201cToday\u2019s hearing reaffirmed that this is a bipartisan issue grounded in one shared goal: ensuring children can maintain strong, stable relationships with both parents whenever it is safe and appropriate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Press<\/p>\n

Rep.\u00a0Jamie\u00a0Flick\u00a0(R-Lycoming\/Union) speaks during the press conference on the steps of the Main Capitol Rotunda.<\/p>\n

Commonwealth Media Services<\/p>\n

To wrap up the day,\u00a0Flick\u00a0hosted a press conference on the steps of the Main Capitol Rotunda where those in attendance held signs that read \u201cKids Need Both.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"R<\/p>\n

Robert Garza, the vice president of National Family Justice, speaks during the press conference on the steps of the Main Capitol Rotunda.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Commonwealth Media Services<\/p>\n

Robert Garza, vice president of National Family Justice and a nationally recognized advocate for children and parental rights, gave voice to his strong support for House Bill 1499. Garza, who has helped draft legislation across the country, compared the growing movement for shared parenting reform to other major social justice efforts in American history.<\/p>\n

\u201c50\/50 shared parenting impacts every man, woman and child,\u201d Garza said. \u201cThis is the largest support group I have ever seen put together in support of 50\/50 legislation. I think Pennsylvania could set the standard for what needs to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mark Ludwig, executive director of the National Council for Equal Shared Parenting, has played a key role in advancing similar legislation in several states, including Kentucky, Arkansas, West Virginia, Florida and Missouri. He acknowledged that while Pennsylvania has been working toward shared parenting reform for years and he believes the Commonwealth is now poised to finally make it a reality.<\/p>\n

\"Mark<\/p>\n

Mark Ludwig, executive director of the National Council for Equal Shared Parenting, speaks during the press conference on the steps of the Main Capitol Rotunda.<\/p>\n

Commonwealth Media Services<\/p>\n

\u201cNow that we have so many states there seems to be a ripple effect where momentum is building,\u201d Ludwig said. \u201cAt these events hosted by Rep.\u00a0Flick, there were parents here today, not just dads. You also saw a lot of mothers, grandmothers and children who grew up without their dads. I have been in politics for 40 years and this is the only issue I\u2019ve seen that crosses gender lines, racial lines, economic lines and really impacts everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

House Bill 1499 has 32 co-sponsors, both Democrats and Republicans. It currently sits in the House Judiciary Committee.<\/p>\n

Watch the full Policy Committee hearing\u00a0here.<\/a><\/p>\n

Watch the full press conference\u00a0here.<\/a><\/p>\n

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