Lisa R. Jacobs

The Uniform Law Commission (ULC) approved four new acts and debated several others during its recent 135th annual meeting in Chicago. Partner Lisa Jacobs serves as president of the ULC, which provides states with nonpartisan, well-drafted legislation to bring clarity and stability to key areas of state statutory law.

Read on for more information about these acts, as well as acts currently pending in the Pennsylvania Legislature.

What Did the ULC Accomplish During the Annual Meeting?

During the week-long meeting, held each July, ULC members — lawyers who serve as appointed representatives from all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands — review and debate draft acts.

The four acts approved this year include the Uniform Conflict of Laws in Trusts and Estates Act, Uniform State Indian Child Welfare Act, Uniform Occupational Licenses of Servicemembers and Military Spouses Act, and Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (2026). All of the approved acts are “uniform,” meaning that they are aimed at establishing the same law across jurisdictions. The ULC will officially promulgate these acts for consideration and enactment by the states. Other acts that were debated during the meeting but not scheduled for approval this year include the Child Digital Entertainers Act, Commercial Financing Disclosure Act, and the Deed Fraud Act. 

What Are the Acts Approved by the ULC?

Uniform Conflict of Laws in Trusts and Estates Act

The Uniform Conflict of Laws in Trusts and Estates Act addresses jurisdictional challenges in trusts, wills, estate administration and fiduciary duties. On behalf of estate planners, their clients, and courts, the act aims to reduce litigation uncertainty by providing a clear framework for resolving multijurisdictional disputes.

Uniform State Indian Child Welfare Act

The Uniform State Indian Child Welfare Act builds upon the federal Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) to further clarify areas of confusion for states. The ICWA, passed in 1978, established minimal standards for the handling of child-removal and adoption cases involving American Indian children. The act, which was drafted with the participation of tribes and tribal leaders, incorporates the federal ICWA into state law and includes additional provisions for facilitating implementation and ensuring compliance.

Uniform Occupational Licenses of Servicemembers and Military Spouses Act

The Uniform Occupational Licenses of Servicemembers and Military Spouses Act eases professional licensing barriers for servicemembers, their spouses and veterans moving across states. The act, which addresses state law changes necessary to implement the federal mandate under Title VII of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act as amended in 2023, supports military families by facilitating occupational-license portability and efficiency.

Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (2026)

The Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (2026) updates the previous act approved by the ULC in 1983 that was adopted by all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The act established millions of accounts that allow adults to act as custodians for minors’ investments and property. The 2026 update adds clarification for the usage of custodial funds, appointments of successor custodians, transfers to special-needs trusts and tax-advantaged educational accounts, and termination ages.

Coming Attractions: Uniform Laws in Progress in Pennsylvania

Once an act has been approved by the ULC, the next step is for local commissioners to facilitate enactment of those acts in their respective states. The below acts are currently pending in the Pennsylvania Legislature, with their status noted.

Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act and Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act, Senate Bill 890

Senate Bill 890 contains two acts that amend Title 20 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes. The Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act helps preserve family wealth passed to the next generation in the form of real property through a series of simple due-process protections. The Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act provides a simple process for the non-probate transfer of real property. The bill is currently in the Senate Appropriations Committee, where it will need to be amended to correct an issue in the Transfer on Death Act to include an exception for realty transfer tax required by the Department of Revenue. Every indication is that these acts will pass in the House when it returns, setting up a strong possibility of enactment.

Uniform Electronic Wills Act and Uniform Electronic Estate Planning Documents Act Provisions, Senate Bill 1138

Senate Bill 1138 contains provisions from the Uniform Electronic Wills Act and Uniform Electronic Estate Planning Documents Act that update laws related to wills and estate planning, particularly by introducing provisions for electronic wills and uniform electronic estate-planning documents. The bill is currently in the Senate Judiciary Committee having been referred there in January. At this point, there is not yet clarity as to whether this act will be enacted this session (which constitutionally ends November 30 but practically will end with or shortly after the November 3 election).

Uniform Parentage Act, House Bill 350

The Uniform Parentage Act provides states with a uniform legal framework for establishing parent-child relationships. This act updates prior versions of the Uniform Parentage Act, last revised in 2002. It passed the House last year and is currently in the Senate Judiciary Committee. There are interest groups now involved seeking to expedite enactment, with a goal of working toward a September-October enactment timeframe.

Uniform Consumer Debt Default Judgments Act, House Bill 801

The Uniform Consumer Debt Default Judgments Act aims to provide consumer debtors and courts with the information necessary to evaluate debt collection actions. The bill was referred to the House Judiciary Committee in March 2025. We expect that for the bill to be enacted, certain non-uniform changes satisfactory to Community Legal Services of Philadelphia — which has raised concerns — would be required, the scope of which appears to be achievable.

Uniform Electronic Recordation of Custodial Interrogations Act, House Bill 413/Senate Bill 370

The Uniform Electronic Recordation of Custodial Interrogations Act aims to require law enforcement to record electronically the entirety of custodial interrogations, with exceptions. House Bill 413 is in the House Appropriations Committee, with challenges from the Fraternal Order of Police and certain district attorneys and support from the Innocence Project. Senate Bill 370 is in the Senate Law and Justice Committee, where it was referred last March. Enactment in the near term is unlikely. 

Other Uniform Acts

For 2027 and beyond, expect to see movement on the Uniform Foreign Country Money Judgments Recognition Act (currently being worked on by Lisa and managing counsel Colin Cassedy) and another update to the Business Organizations Acts (including partnerships, limited liability companies and corporations housed in Title 15 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes), an effort for which Lisa serves as chair.