HB2363 S JUD AMT #1 4-7

Dean  7824

 

The Committee on Judiciary moved to amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting therefor a new title, to read as follows:

Eng. Com. Sub. for House Bill 2363—A Bill to  amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended by adding thereto five new sections, designated §48-1-239a, §48-1-239b, §48-1-241a, §48-1-241b, and §48-9-105; to amend and reenact §48-1-220, §48-1-239, §48-9-102, §48-9-203, §48-9-204, §48-9-206, §48-9-207, §48-9-209, §48-9-301, §48-9-403, §48-9-601, §48-9-603 of said code, all relating to “Best Interests of the Child Protection Act of 2021”; providing definitions; amending definitions; clarifying the authority of parents to make emergency and non-elective healthcare decisions; requiring the court to consider parenting functions in determining best interests of the child; adding meaningful contact between a child and his or her siblings, including half-siblings, as an objective of the best interests of the child; providing for venue of custody actions outside of divorce proceedings; requiring the court to consider parenting functions in temporary parenting plans and allocation of custody; adding a preference time allocated to the parent resulting in the child being under the care of that parent is preferred to the parent resulting in time allocated to the parent resulting in the child being under the care of a third party as an objective in allocation determinations; adding an objective for reasonable access to the child by telephone or other electronic contact as an objective in allocation determinations; requiring that, in the absence of agreement of the parents, a final allocation determination must be made pursuant to hearing which cannot be conducted exclusively by presentation of evidence by proffer; adding neglect and abandonment as criteria that may overcome presumption that joint decision-making responsibility is in the best interests of the child; clarifying criteria of interference with the other parent’s relationship with the child; providing notice requirements during a court-ordered investigation; requires that a hearing cannot take place until after the investigation report is provided to the parties; allowing for continuance of a hearing following an investigation; providing a mechanism for the adjudication of requests for relocation of a parent with a child; providing circumstances for which relocation of a parent constitutes a substantial change in the circumstances of the child; requiring the relocating parent to file a verified petition for the court for modification of the parenting plan; identifying consequences of failure to comply with the requirements of this section; requiring a copy of the petition to be served on the other parent and all other persons allocated custodial time with the child; establishing requirements for the petition for modification of the parenting plan; requiring a hearing to be held on the petition at least 30 days in advance of the proposed date of relocation; providing for an expedited hearing; authorizing the court to revise the parenting plan; authorizing the court to allocate costs between the parties; establishing the burden of proof for the relocating parent; defines when a relocation is for a legitimate purpose; establishing a move with a legitimate purpose is unreasonable unless the relocating parent proves that the purpose is not substantially achievable without moving and that moving to a location that is substantially less disruptive of the other parent’s relationship to the child is not feasible; requiring the court to consider the best interests of the child when modifying the parenting plan; requiring the court to minimize impairment to a parent-child relationship caused by a parent’s relocation through alternative arrangements; setting forth the opportunity for parties to file a modified parenting plan signed by all parties; conditionally requiring an initial permanent parenting plan to be established before a relocation is considered; requiring interviewing or questioning of the child to be conducted in accordance with Rule 17 of the Rules of Practice and Procedure for Family Court; providing for parental access to a child’s vital records; requiring notice to the other party if the child is a victim of a crime unless the other party is the perpetrator; providing an effective date; providing that the 2021 amendments shall not, without more, be considered a substantial change in circumstances for modification of a parenting plan order; and providing that existing orders remain in effect unless modified by a court of competent jurisdiction.

 

 

 

Adopted

Rejected