CO SB129

Amends legislative declaration to recognize the fundamental liberty interest of both parents and children in maintaining the parent-child relationship and emphasizes that outcomes for children are usually better when a child has a relationship with both parents.

Requires courts to allocate substantially equal parenting time between parties unless the court finds such allocation would endanger the child's physical health or significantly impair emotional development, with specific findings of fact required if substantially equal time is not ordered.

Requires courts to award mutual decision-making responsibilities unless clearly not in the child's best interest, and permits modification of decision-makers after considering whether mutual decision-making is now appropriate.

Changes child and family investigator role from making evaluations and recommendations to conducting objective investigations and providing factual findings; reports must include specific reasons if parenting time recommendations deviate from substantially equal parenting time.

Takes effect September 1, 2015, subject to referendum petition, and applies to parenting time orders and court appointments made on or after the effective date.