PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 631, 798 PRINTER'S NO. 1158
No. 572 Session of 1975
INTRODUCED BY MESSRS. RICHARDSON, BLACKWELL, MRS. TOLL, MESSRS. REED, VANN, SHELTON, BARBER AND IRVIS, FEBRUARY 24, 1975
AS AMENDED ON THIRD CONSIDERATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, APRIL 15, 1975
AN ACT 1 Amending the act of May 14, 1857 (P.L.507, No.567), entitled "An 2 act to Legitimate Children Born out of Lawful Wedlock," 3 providing that all children born in the Commonwealth of 4 Pennsylvania are legitimate. 5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 6 hereby enacts as follows: 7 Section 1. Section 1, act of May 14, 1857 (P.L.507, No.567), 8 entitled "An act to Legitimate Children Born out of Lawful 9 Wedlock," amended June 17, 1971 (P.L.175, No.17), is amended to 10 read: 11 Section 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of 12 Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in General 13 Assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the 14 same, That all children born in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 15 shall be legitimate irrespective of the marital status of their 16 parents and in any and every case where [the father and mother 17 of a child or] children are born out of wedlock [shall enter
1 into the bonds of lawful wedlock and cohabit, such child or 2 children shall thereby become legitimated, and] they shall enjoy 3 all the rights and privileges as if they had been born during 4 the wedlock of their parents: Provided, however, That for 5 purposes of paternal inheritance of children born out of 6 wedlock, the identity of the father be determined in one of the 7 following ways: 8 (1) the father may recognize his child by filing a 9 certificate to such effect in the office of the Bureau of Vital 10 Statistics; or 11 (2) the paternity may be determined by law during the 12 lifetime of the reputed father PROVIDED THE ISSUE IS PRESENTED <-- 13 TO THE COURT WITHIN TWO YEARS OF THE BIRTH OF THE CHILD OR 14 WITHIN TWO YEARS OF THE REPUTED FATHER CONTRIBUTING TO THE 15 SUPPORT OF THE CHILD; or 16 (3) in cases where the father and mother of a child born out 17 of wedlock shall enter into the bonds of lawful wedlock and 18 cohabit, such child or children shall thereby become 19 legitimated. 20 Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall 21 apply to all children living on or born after the date of 22 enactment if the child's father is living on that date. B5L23RW/19750H0572B1158 - 2 -