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IN HB1223

Bill

Status

Introduced

1/10/2017

Primary Sponsor

Bruce Borders

Click for details

Origin

House of Representatives

2017 Regular Session

AI Summary

  • Expands visitation rights to include great-grandparents in addition to grandparents, allowing them to seek court-ordered visitation with great-grandchildren when a parent or guardian refuses or restricts such visitation.

  • Permits grandparents or great-grandparents to seek visitation when a child's parent is deceased, the parents' marriage has been dissolved in Indiana, or the child was born out of wedlock (subject to paternity establishment for paternal relatives).

  • Establishes court factors for determining best interests of the child, including whether the grandparent/great-grandparent has had meaningful contact, the wishes of parents and child, the child's physical and emotional health and safety, and the ability to provide love and affection.

  • Allows courts to interview children in chambers regarding their perception of visitation and permits counsel to be present with a record made for appeal purposes.

  • Modifies relocation notice requirements to include grandparent or great-grandparent visitation schedules and allows courts to consider such visitation when reviewing relocation requests.

  • Effective July 1, 2017.

Legislative Description

Grandparent and great-grandparent rights. Allows great-grandparents to seek visitation rights with their great-grandchildren in certain circumstances. Provides that a grandparent or great-grandparent may seek visitation with a child if the parent or guardian of the child refuses to allow or restricts visitation by the grandparent or great-grandparent. Establishes factors the court may consider in determining whether granting visitation rights to a grandparent or great-grandparent is in the best interests of the child.

Last Action

First reading: referred to Committee on Judiciary

1/10/2017

Committee Referrals

Judiciary1/10/2017

Full Bill Text

No bill text available