HB2236 Summary

• Requires grandparent and great-grandparent visitation petitions to receive priority scheduling, with first hearing set within 45 days of filing and subsequent hearings scheduled within 45 days of prior hearings.

• Mandates court decisions on grandparent and great-grandparent visitation petitions be rendered within 6 months of filing, unless parties agree otherwise.

• Allows courts to impose penalties and sanctions, including costs and attorney's fees, against any party that intentionally or recklessly causes undue delay in grandparent or great-grandparent visitation proceedings.

• Defines eligibility for non-parental visitation (grandparents, great-grandparents, siblings, step-parents) and establishes factors courts must consider when determining whether to grant visitation rights.

• Prohibits visitation rights for individuals convicted of sex crimes against minors or first-degree murder of the child's parent or relatives, except after successful completion of court-approved treatment programs.