HB 2255 Summary

• Court may take testimony from experts on parenting time and legal decision-making only if they have specialized expertise in child development or substantial clinical experience with children in therapeutic settings.

• Experts testifying on mental health, physical health, domestic violence, or substance abuse must have specialized expertise or substantial clinical experience in the same matter as their testimony.

• Expert testimony must be supported by the canon of the expert's profession and adhere to guidelines of their professional licensing board.

• Court may not order psychiatric evaluation of a party in legal decision-making or parenting time proceedings unless that party has demonstrated behavior presenting a high risk of harm to the child.

• Expert fees under these provisions shall be paid by the court and not charged to either parent.