The Pennsylvania Family Council is actively working in Harrisburg to oppose two harmful bills—House Bill 350 (Uniform Parentage Act) and House Bill 300 (Fairness Act). 

Here’s the latest update on these troubling legislations:

1. House Bill 350 – Uniform Parentage Act

House Bill 350 puts the desires of adults ahead of the best interests of children. It treats children as commodities. It threatens children’s well-being. House Bill 350 does this by allowing an unrelated adult to become the legal parent through surrogacy without the background checks and safety determinations that we require in any other circumstance for adopting an unrelated child. This bypassing of the adoption process and its essential screening protections will result in more abuse and trafficking. Retired Judge Cheryl Allen, Of Counsel with the Independence Law Center, noted, “By detaching parentage from biology and adoption, the court treats children as mere commodities.” 

But the problems with this bill don’t stop there. Them Before Us, an organization committed to protecting children’s rights, has voiced significant concerns about HB 350. They highlight its alignment with commercial surrogacy practices condemned by international standards like the Hague Convention as a form of baby-selling. They state, “Commercial genetic surrogacy violates [adoption] principles, allowing women to accept money in exchange for children whom they have not only gestated but to whom they are genetic parents.”

Additionally, HB 350 would allow for post-conception validation of surrogacy contracts, potentially enabling women to become pregnant and then negotiate with the highest bidder for the child. Alarmingly, it even permits surrogacy arrangements involving natural conception, essentially paid intercourse.

In short, HB 350 treats children created via surrogacy worse than other children in non-biological parent scenarios. It removes vital safeguards, such as home studies and background checks, which currently ensure non-biological parents are safe and suitable caregivers. If the existing protections for adoption and foster care are considered burdensome, the solution should be to streamline those processes, not eliminate them for children in the surrogacy context. Under HB 350, unrelated adults wanting to obtain parental rights through surrogacy would face fewer safety requirements to become legal parents than volunteers face to coach a youth sports team.

2. House Bill 300 – Fairness Act

The deceptively named “Fairness Act” poses serious threats to privacy, religious freedom, and parental rights by adding “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” as protected classes under state non-discrimination law. The effect of this legislation would be to force girls and women to share private spaces with biological males and compel religious schools, ministries, healthcare professionals, and creative professionals to act against their deeply held beliefs.

Specifically, HB 300 would:

• Force religious schools to hire individuals who reject their faith’s teachings on human sexuality.
• Shut down adoption and foster agencies, prioritizing children’s placement with married mothers and fathers.
• Allow biological males access to women’s shelters, sports, restrooms, locker rooms, and showers.
• Compel healthcare providers to perform procedures, including surgeries on minors, against their medical judgment and conscience.

Previously, we have outlined seven critical reasons why HB 300 must be stopped. These include its harmful impacts on women’s safety, medical ethics, freedom of speech, religious institutions, and personal conscience. You can read that post and watch the video clips here.

Michael Geer, President of Pennsylvania Family Institute, clarifies the misuse of civil rights laws in this context, stating, “Civil rights laws were designed as shields…but SOGI laws like the Fairness Act are increasingly being used as swords—to punish good people who hold beliefs rooted in reality.”

Your Action is Crucial

We anticipate votes on these critical, harmful bills soon. Your voice is essential in protecting Pennsylvania families, children, and religious freedoms.

• Urge your state representative and state senator to oppose HB 350. The House Children and Youth Committee is expected to vote on Tuesday, June 10th.
• Tell your State Representative and Senator to say NO to HB 300.

Together, let’s defend the dignity, safety, and freedom of our families and communities. Act today!