HB 2618 Summary

• Prohibits courts from denying or limiting adoption, guardianship, parenting time, or legal decision-making based solely on a person's blindness if otherwise in the best interests of the child.

• Requires any party alleging that blindness has a detrimental impact on a child to prove by clear and convincing evidence that the blind person's behavior endangers or is likely to endanger the child's health, safety, or welfare.

• Mandates courts provide blind parents, guardians, or adoptive parents the opportunity to demonstrate that supportive parenting services can alleviate raised concerns before denying or limiting custody or parenting rights.

• Requires courts to issue specific written findings explaining the basis for any denial or limitation of rights, including why supportive parenting services cannot serve as a reasonable accommodation.

• Prohibits the Department of Child Safety from refusing to license foster homes based on a prospective foster parent's blindness if the home otherwise qualifies for licensure, with the same burden of proof and accommodations standards applied.