HB 446 Summary

• Requires child custody evaluators (psychiatrists, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers, and court-approved fact-finding investigators) to complete a minimum 3-hour training course on domestic violence issues every three years.

• Mandates the Family Court to approve domestic violence training courses and publish a list of approved courses on the judiciary's website.

• Establishes that the judiciary must maintain a publicly accessible registry of qualified child custody evaluators on its website.

• Requires the judiciary to establish a complaint referral process for parties to file complaints against court-appointed child custody evaluators, with annual reporting to the legislature on complaint numbers.

• Takes effect upon approval.