FL S0674

Expands eligibility for grandparents to petition for court-ordered visitation when one parent is deceased, missing, or in a persistent vegetative state and the child lived with the grandparent for at least 6 months during the preceding 12 months while not living with the surviving parent

Requires grandparents seeking visitation under the new residency provision to demonstrate that eliminating contact would pose a substantial threat of harm to the child's physical, mental, or emotional well-being

Maintains existing grounds allowing grandparents to petition when both parents are deceased, missing, or in a persistent vegetative state, or when one parent meets that criteria and the other has been convicted of a felony or violent offense threatening the child

Courts must hold a preliminary hearing to determine if the grandparent has shown prima facie evidence of parental unfitness or significant harm to the child before proceeding, with mandatory referral to family mediation if that threshold is met

Effective date of July 1, 2026