Good Dad Act fuels push for equal parenting laws across states

By AI, Created 3:30 PM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – A Florida fathers’ rights campaign built around the Good Dad Act is showing up in custody bills from Mississippi to Pennsylvania as lawmakers revisit shared parenting and 50/50 timesharing. The movement matters because it could reshape how courts treat unmarried fathers and how states define a child’s right to both parents.

Why it matters: - Shared-parenting laws can change custody outcomes, child support assumptions and how courts weigh each parent’s role after separation or divorce. - The Good Dad Act movement has become a visible reference point for lawmakers and advocates pushing equal or near-equal parenting time. - Supporters say the policy shift could reduce bias against fathers and strengthen children’s access to both parents.

What happened: - Florida’s Good Dad Act, House Bill 775, became law July 1, 2023, and strengthened the rights of unmarried fathers once paternity is established. - The Florida legislation helped spark a broader national campaign led by Dr. Bernard W. H. Jennings, author of Ethan’s Good Dad Act. - In 2026, Mississippi lawmakers approved House Bill 1662, which creates a rebuttable presumption of 50/50 joint custody in divorce and custody disputes and sent the bill to Gov. Tate Reeves. - South Carolina lawmakers introduced the Equal Parenting Act, which would favor equal or approximately equal parenting time and require written findings when judges deviate from that split. - Michigan Sen. Jim Runestad introduced 50/50 shared-parenting legislation in April 2026. - Colorado lawmakers considered Senate Bill 26-027, the Parental Equality and Child Empowerment Act, or PEACE Act, which would define equal parenting as at least 45% overnight visitation for each parent. - Nebraska advanced legislation directing courts to consider evidence that children benefit from equal access to both parents. - Connecticut introduced SB 1026, which would create a rebuttable presumption of joint custody and equal shared parenting time for minor children. - Pennsylvania renewed efforts in 2026 to make 50/50 custody the default presumption. - Texas saw another round of debate over equal-parenting legislation after earlier efforts stalled.

The details: - Mississippi’s bill starts from the assumption that equal parenting time is in the child’s best interest unless evidence shows otherwise. - South Carolina’s proposal says children benefit emotionally, intellectually and socially from meaningful relationships with both parents. - Michigan’s bill states that, absent evidence to the contrary, children deserve a meaningful, continuing relationship with both parents. - Florida also strengthened its broader timesharing laws with a rebuttable presumption favoring equal timesharing for children. - States frequently cited as already supporting shared-parenting presumptions include Florida, Kentucky, Arkansas, Missouri and West Virginia. - Dr. Jennings turned a personal custody and parenting fight into a statewide legislative effort, according to the movement’s account. - Family law professionals now routinely reference the Good Dad Act as part of a broader shift toward fairness, co-parenting and shared responsibility.

Between the lines: - The movement has moved beyond Florida politics and into a national debate over whether courts should begin custody cases with a presumption of equal parenting. - Supporters frame the issue as child-centered reform; critics of traditional custody systems often argue that current rules can sideline fathers. - The legislative momentum suggests shared parenting is becoming a more mainstream bipartisan issue, even as specific bills vary by state.

What’s next: - Mississippi’s bill now awaits Gov. Tate Reeves’ decision. - Alabama Rep. Patrick Sellers said he will keep pushing HB19, known as the Good Dad Act, after it failed to advance this session. - The Good Dad Act Committee says it is nearing its 152nd consecutive weekly online meeting and will continue holding Tuesday gatherings at 8 p.m. Eastern. - The committee says the meetings are open to the public and will continue to feature attorneys, mediators, private investigators, mental health professionals and fathers. - Supporters can find more information at the Good Dad Act Committee website and the book’s website.

The bottom line: - Florida’s Good Dad Act has become a template for a widening state-by-state push toward equal parenting, with Mississippi, South Carolina, Michigan and others testing how far shared-custody reform can go.