Florida may soon take action to prevent a situation in Pennsylvania from happening in the Sunshine State.
The state of Pennsylvania saw a convicted child sex offender adopt a child through surrogacy, reported Newsweek. There is not a law that prohibits a sex offender from adopting a child through surrogacy in the state and criticism has been expressed at this loophole in the law. The state district attorney demands legislative action; meanwhile, a petition has been posted online to remove the child from the home.
As previously reported on AFN, Attorney General James Uthmeier (R-Florida) is proposing the Protecting Kids From Predators Pursuing Parenthood Act, a bill he hopes to work on with the legislature to "ensure that registered sex offenders, people that have preyed upon kids, are in no way eligible to obtain children through surrogacy, adoption, or foster care."
The attorney made the announcement in a video posted on X.
"In Pennsylvania, we recently saw a homosexual couple, including a registered sex offender, celebrate bringing home a newborn," said the attorney general. "In other states, we've seen situations where parents have obtained children through surrogacy or adoption only to then subject them to repeated sexual abuse. This cannot and will not happen in Florida."
Aaron DiPietro of Florida Family Voice, previously known as Florida Family Policy Council, says his organization is in strong support of the bill proposal.
"I'm grateful because there are plenty of children that need a warm and loving home, but we need to make sure that we're putting up safeguards and protections for these children, many of whom have been victimized and gone through horrible circumstances previously," says DiPietro.
