HB107 Summary

• Establishes a rebuttable presumption that joint custody and equally shared parenting time serves the best interests of the child, which can be overcome by preponderance of evidence.

• Requires equal custody and visitation sharing when parents live in the same county, unless the court finds a parent cannot provide for the child's best interests or family violence is present.

• Adds consideration of parental motivations and the effect of family violence incidents on parent-child relationships as factors in custody determinations.

• Expands the definition of "caregiver" to include persons entitled to custody awards under section 571-46(a)(5), enabling non-parental caregivers to seek custody or visitation rights.

• Applies effective upon approval with renumbering of existing custody law provisions to accommodate new statutory subsections addressing joint custody presumptions and parental parity factors.