HB 2179 Summary

• Amends Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 571-46(a)(1) to presume custody should be awarded to ensure inclusion of both parents in raising the child unless the court finds clear and convincing evidence it is not in the child's best interest.

• Shifts custody language from "either parent or to" to emphasize "maximum continuing physical, emotional, and meaningful contact with both parents" rather than just "frequent, continuing contact."

• Removes the previous standard allowing courts to consider whether a parent is "unable to act in the best interest of the child" as a basis for denying shared parenting presumption.

• Maintains all existing protections for cases involving family violence, including rebuttable presumptions against custody with perpetrators and authority to impose supervised visitation conditions.

• Takes effect upon approval.