KY SB281

Circuit Courts may grant visitation rights to paternal or maternal grandparents if clear and convincing evidence shows compelling factors overcome the presumption that fit parents act in children's best interests, and visitation serves the child's best interests

Courts must consider nine factors when determining best interests: nature/stability of grandparent-child relationship, time spent together, potential benefits/detriments to child, effect on parent-child relationship, physical/emotional health of adults, stability of child's living arrangements, child's wishes, adult motivations, and special circumstances involving deceased or divorced parents

Removes the previous rebuttable presumption favoring visitation when the grandparent's child (the parent) is deceased, along with specific criteria for proving "significant and viable relationship" (6 months residence, 6 months caregiving, or 12 months regular contact)

Grandparents may receive noncustodial parental visitation rights if their deceased child was the parent and the grandparent assumes the deceased parent's child support obligation

When a grandparent receives custody of a dependent, neglected, or abused child, courts must consider granting visitation to other grandparents based on the new best interests standard rather than the prior "significant and viable relationship" test