On September 19, 2024, the Interbranch Commission submitted comments on a proposal by the PA Supreme Court’s Civil Procedural Rules Committee to adopt a statewide rule governing name change petitions in the Commonwealth. At present, no such statewide rule exists, leaving judicial districts to determine their own procedures.
In its comments, the Interbranch Commission supported many of the proposal’s provisions, which would better ensure equal application of the name change statute and protect name change petitioners’ privacy and safety. The Commission also suggested several amendments to fill in existing statutory gaps, such as the insertion of a clear procedure detailing the steps to take when a petitioner completes the required judgment search and the search yields a judgment against him or her.