KY HB418

Courts cannot remove custody from or reduce parenting time for a nonoffending parent solely to improve a child's relationship with a parent who committed domestic violence, provided the nonoffending parent is competent and not abusive.

Creates a rebuttable presumption that joint custody and equally shared parenting time is not in a child's best interests when a party has committed two or more acts of domestic violence against another party.

Parties found to have committed two or more acts of domestic violence cannot receive custody or unsupervised visitation until completing a batterer's intervention program, parenting classes, substance use and mental health assessments, and supervised visitation.

Paid visitation supervisors and parenting coordinators must complete 16 hours of initial training and 8 hours annually on topics including domestic violence dynamics, child development, lethality and risk issues, and ethical principles of supervision.

Guardian ad litems appointed for minors in protection order cases must document training on domestic violence dynamics, child development, lethality issues, and available community resources; victim advocates are permitted to attend evidentiary hearings.