House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

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House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted:	April 28, 2017 02:39 PM
From:	Representative Tim Briggs
To:	All House members
Subject:	Standby Guardianship

In the near future, I intend to introduce legislation that would help parents plan for the care of their children should they become incarcerated, or face detention or deportation. Specifically, my bill would expand Pennsylvania’s standby guardianship provisions to include the long-term absence of a parent as a triggering event. This would provide parents facing imprisonment, detention or deportation the power to designate a guardian or co-guardian in their absence without relinquishing their parental rights. Under current law, standby guardianship can only be used for incapacity, debilitation or death of a parent. At least 28 states and the District of Columbia have standby guardianship laws. The concept grew in popularity throughout the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1990s. Standby guardianship laws allow parents to designate a guardian for their children should a “triggering event” arise, and easily rescind the designation when conditions change because the parent had not forfeited any parental rights. Please join me in bringing stability to families by allowing parents to plan not only for cases of illness or death, but also long-term absences.

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