NY S07425

Establishes "Kyra's Law" requiring courts to prioritize a child's life and safety as the first consideration in custody and visitation determinations involving allegations of child abuse or domestic violence.

Mandates courts hold hearings within fourteen days to assess risk using a standardized risk assessment tool and issue temporary emergency orders with custody/visitation limitations when significant risk to a child is identified.

Creates a rebuttable presumption against awarding custody or unsupervised visitation to parties who jeopardize a child's life or safety, and prohibits consideration of parental alienation theories in custody cases.

Requires judges, referees, and hearing officers to complete at least twenty hours of initial training on domestic violence and child abuse dynamics, trauma-informed practices, and risk assessment tools before presiding over custody cases involving these allegations.

Mandates the non-offending party's attorney and expert fees be paid by the party found to have committed child abuse or domestic violence, and restricts joint legal custody awards in domestic violence cases except with party consent or demonstrated ability to effectively communicate and cooperate.