Bill Text: HI SB577 | 2022 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating To Family Court.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-12-10 - Carried over to 2022 Regular Session. [SB577 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2022-SB577-Introduced.html
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
577 |
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THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating to family court.
BE IT
ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that ninety-five per cent of sexually abused children are abused by someone they know and trust. Seventy-three percent of child victims do not tell anyone about the abuse for at least one year, while forty-five per cent do not tell anyone for five years. Some never disclose having been or being abused at all. In light of these compelling statistics, more restrictive standards must be established to help courts determine the best interests of children while making custody decisions.
Therefore, the purpose of this Act is to:
(1) Clarify that if a court determines a parent has a felony conviction for a violent or sexual offense in which the victim was a minor, or if a parent is required to register as a sex offender, such classification raises a rebuttable presumption that it is detrimental to the child and not in the best interest of the child to grant that parent custodial rights;
(2) Clarify that no child shall be placed in a home in which a person resides who has committed family violence, has a felony conviction for a violent or sexual offense in which the victim was a minor, or is required to register as a sex offender, nor have unsupervised visitation with that person, unless the court states the reasons for its findings in writing or on the record;
(3) Establish that no person shall be granted physical or legal custody of, or unsupervised visitation with, a child if anyone residing in that person's household is required to register as a sex offender unless the court finds there is no significant risk to the child and states its reasons in writing or on the record;
(4) Require a court to consider registration as a sex offender a presumption of risk that affects the burden of producing evidence;
(5) Establish that no person shall be granted custody of, or unsupervised visitation with, a child if the person has been convicted of murder in the first degree and the victim of the murder was the other parent of the child, unless the court finds there is no risk to the child's health, safety, and welfare, and states the reasons for its findings in writing or on the record; and
(6) Clarify that no court shall disclose the custodial parent's place of residence, place of employment, or the child's school, unless the court finds disclosure would be in the best interests of the child.
SECTION 2. Section 571-46, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsections (a) and (b) to read as follows:
"(a) In actions for
divorce, separation, annulment, separate maintenance, or any other proceeding
where there is at issue a dispute as to the custody of a minor child, the
court, during the pendency of the action, at the final hearing, or any time
during the minority of the child, may make an order for the custody of the
minor child as may seem necessary or proper.
In awarding the custody, the court shall be guided by the following
standards, considerations, and procedures:
(1) Custody
should be awarded to either parent or to both parents according to the best
interests of the child, and the court also may consider frequent, continuing,
and meaningful contact of each parent with the child unless the court finds
that a parent is unable to act in the best interest of the child;
(2) Custody
may be awarded to persons other than the father or mother whenever the award
serves the best interest of the child.
Any person who has had de facto custody of the child in a stable and wholesome
home and is a fit and proper person shall be entitled prima facie to an award
of custody;
(3) If
a child is of sufficient age and capacity to reason, so as to form an
intelligent preference, the child's wishes as to custody shall be considered
and be given due weight by the court;
(4) Whenever
good cause appears therefor, the court may require an investigation and report
concerning the care, welfare, and custody of any minor child of the
parties. When so directed by the court,
investigators or professional personnel attached to or assisting the court,
hereinafter referred to as child custody evaluators, shall make investigations
and reports that shall be made available to all interested parties and counsel
before hearing, and the reports may be received in evidence if no objection is
made and, if objection is made, may be received in evidence; provided the
person or persons responsible for the report are available for
cross-examination as to any matter that has been investigated; and provided
further that the court shall define, in accordance with section 571-46.4, the
requirements to be a court-appointed child custody evaluator, the standards of
practice, ethics, policies, and procedures required of court-appointed child
custody evaluators in the performance of their duties for all courts, and the
powers of the courts over child custody evaluators to effectuate the best
interests of a child in a contested custody dispute pursuant to this
section. Where there is no child custody
evaluator available that meets the requirements and standards, or any child
custody evaluator to serve indigent parties, the court may appoint a person
otherwise willing and available in accordance with section 571-46.4;
(5) The
court may hear the
(6) Any
custody award shall be subject to modification or change whenever the best
interests of the child require or justify the modification or change and,
wherever practicable, the same person who made the original order shall hear
the motion or petition for modification of the prior award;
(7) Reasonable
visitation rights shall be awarded to parents, grandparents, siblings, and any
person interested in the welfare of the child in the discretion of the court,
unless it is shown that rights of visitation are detrimental to the best
interests of the child;
(8) The
court may appoint a guardian ad litem to represent the interests of the child
and may assess the reasonable fees and expenses of the guardian ad litem as
costs of the action, payable in whole or in part by either or both parties as
the circumstances may justify;
(9) In
every proceeding where there is at issue a dispute as to the custody of a
child, a determination by the court that family violence has been committed by
a parent, a parent has a felony conviction for a violent or sexual offense
in which the victim was a minor, or a parent is required to be registered as a
sex offender raises a rebuttable presumption that it is detrimental to the
child and not in the best interest of the child to be placed in sole custody,
joint legal custody, or joint physical custody with the perpetrator of family
violence[.], the parent who has a felony conviction for a violent or
sexual offense in which the victim was a minor, or the parent who is required
to register as a sex offender. In
addition to other factors that a court shall consider in a proceeding in which
the custody of a child or visitation by a parent is at issue, and in which the
court has made a finding of family violence by a parent[:]; that a
parent has a felony conviction for a violent or sexual offense in which the
victim was a minor; or that the parent is required to register as a sex
offender:
(A) The
court shall consider as the primary factor the safety and well-being of the
child and of the parent who is the victim of family violence;
(B) The
court shall consider the perpetrator's history of causing physical harm, bodily
injury, or assault or causing reasonable fear of physical harm, bodily injury,
or assault to another person; and
(C) If
a parent is absent or relocates because of an act of family violence by the
other parent, the absence or relocation shall not be a factor that weighs
against the parent in determining custody or visitation;
A child shall not be placed
in a home in which a person resides who has committed family violence, has a
felony conviction for a violent or sexual offense in which the victim was a
minor, or is required to register as a sex offender, nor have unsupervised
visitation with that person, unless the court states the reasons for its
findings in writing or on the record;
(10) A
court may award visitation to a parent who has committed family violence or
has a felony conviction for a violent or sexual offense in which the victim was
a minor only if the court finds that there is no significant risk to the
child and adequate provision can be made for the physical safety and
psychological well-being of the child and for the safety of the parent who is a
victim of family violence;
(11) In
a visitation order, a court may:
(A) Order
an exchange of a child to occur in a protected setting;
(B) Order
visitation supervised by another person or agency;
(C) Order
the perpetrator of family violence or a parent who has a felony conviction
for a violent or sexual offense in which the victim was a minor to attend
and complete, to the satisfaction of the court, a program of intervention for
perpetrators or other designated counseling as a condition of the visitation;
(D) Order
the perpetrator of family violence or a parent who has a felony conviction
for a violent or sexual offense in which the victim was a minor to abstain
from possession or consumption of alcohol or controlled substances during the
visitation and for twenty-four hours preceding the visitation;
(E) Order
the perpetrator of family violence or a parent who has a felony conviction
for a violent or sexual offense in which the victim was a minor to pay a
fee to defray the costs of supervised visitation;
(F) Prohibit
overnight visitation;
(G) Require
a bond from the perpetrator of family violence or a parent with a felony
conviction for a violent or sexual offense in which the victim was a minor for
the return and safety of the child. In
determining the amount of the bond, the court shall consider the financial
circumstances of the perpetrator of family violence;
(H) Impose
any other condition that is deemed necessary to provide for the safety of the
child, the victim of family violence, or other family or household member; and
(I) Order
the address of the child and the victim to be kept confidential;
(12) The
court may refer but shall not order an adult who is a victim of family violence
to attend, either individually or with the perpetrator of the family violence,
counseling relating to the victim's status or behavior as a victim as a
condition of receiving custody of a child or as a condition of visitation;
(13) If
a court allows a family or household member to supervise visitation, the court
shall establish conditions to be followed during visitation;
(14) A
supervised visitation center shall provide a secure setting and specialized
procedures for supervised visitation and the transfer of children for
visitation and supervision by a person trained in security and the avoidance of
family violence;
(15) The
court may include in visitation awarded pursuant to this section visitation by
electronic communication provided that the court shall additionally consider the
potential for abuse or misuse of the electronic communication, including the
equipment used for the communication, by the person seeking visitation or by
persons who may be present during the visitation or have access to the
communication or equipment; whether
the person seeking visitation has previously violated a temporary restraining
order or protective order; and whether adequate provision can be made for the
physical safety and psychological well-being of the child and for the safety of
the custodial parent;
(16) The court may set conditions for visitation by electronic communication under paragraph (15), including visitation supervised by another person or occurring in a protected setting. Visitation by electronic communication shall not be used to:
(A) Replace or substitute an award of custody or physical visitation except where:
(i) Circumstances exist that make a parent seeking visitation unable to participate in physical visitation, including military deployment; or
(ii) Physical visitation may subject the child to physical or extreme psychological harm; or
(B) Justify or support
the relocation of a custodial parent; [and]
(17) Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, no natural parent shall be granted custody of or visitation with a child if the natural parent has been convicted in a court of competent jurisdiction in any state of rape or sexual assault and the child was conceived as a result of that offense; provided that:
(A) A denial of custody or visitation under this paragraph shall not affect the obligation of the convicted natural parent to support the child;
(B) The court may order the convicted natural parent to pay child support;
(C) This paragraph shall not apply if subsequent to the date of conviction, the convicted natural parent and custodial natural parent cohabitate and establish a mutual custodial environment for the child; and
(D) A custodial
natural parent may petition the court to grant the convicted natural parent
custody and visitation denied pursuant to this paragraph, and upon such
petition the court may grant custody and visitation to the convicted natural
parent where it is in the best interest of the child[.];
(18) No person shall
be granted physical or legal custody of, or unsupervised visitation with, a
child if anyone residing in the person's household is required, as a result of
a felony conviction in which the victim was a minor, to register as a sex
offender unless the court finds there is no significant risk to the child and
states its reasons in writing or on the record.
The child may not be placed in a home in which that person resides, nor
permitted to have unsupervised visitation with that person, unless the court
states the reasons for its findings in writing or on the record. When making a determination regarding
significant risk to the child, the court shall deem that the requirement to
register as a sex offender as a result of a felony conviction in which the
victim was a minor shall constitute a presumption of risk, affecting the burden
of producing evidence;
(19) No person shall
be granted custody of, or unsupervised visitation with, a child if the person
has been convicted of murder in the first degree and the victim of the murder
was the other parent of the child who is the subject of the order, unless the
court finds that there is no risk to the child's health, safety, and welfare,
and states the reasons for its findings in writing or on the record. In making its findings, the court may
consider, among other things:
(A) The
wishes of the child, if the child is of sufficient age and capacity to reason
so as to form an intelligent preference;
(B) Credible
evidence that the convicted parent was a victim of abuse committed by the
deceased parent; provided that the evidence may include but shall not be
limited to written reports by law enforcement agencies, child protective
services or other social welfare agencies, courts, medical facilities, or other
public agencies or private nonprofit organizations providing services to
victims of domestic violence; or
(C) Testimony
of a qualified expert witness that the convicted parent experiences intimate
partner violence;
Unless and until a custody
or visitation order is issued pursuant to this paragraph, no person shall
permit or cause the child to visit or remain in the custody of the convicted
parent without the consent of the child's custodian or legal guardian; and
(20) The court shall
not disclose, or cause to be disclosed, the custodial parent's place of
residence, place of employment, or the child's school, unless the court finds
that the disclosure would be in the best interest of the child.
(b)
In determining what constitutes the best interest of the child under this
section, the court shall consider, but not be limited to, the following:
(1) Any
history of sexual or physical abuse of a child by a parent;
(2) Any
history of neglect or emotional abuse of a child by a parent;
(3) The
overall quality of the parent-child relationship;
(4) The
history of caregiving or parenting by each parent prior and subsequent to a marital
or other type of separation;
(5) Each
parent's cooperation in developing and implementing a plan to meet the child's
ongoing needs, interests, and schedule; provided that this factor shall not be
considered in any case where the court has determined that family violence has
been committed by a parent;
(6) The
physical health needs of the child;
(7) The
emotional needs of the child;
(8) The
safety needs of the child;
(9) The
educational needs of the child;
(10) The
child's need for relationships with siblings;
(11) Each
parent's actions demonstrating that they allow the child to maintain family
connections through family events and activities; provided that this factor
shall not be considered in any case where the court has determined that family
violence has been committed by a parent;
(12) Each
parent's actions demonstrating that they separate the child's needs from the
parent's needs;
(13) Any
evidence of past or current drug or alcohol abuse by a parent;
(14) The
mental health of each parent;
(15) The
areas and levels of conflict present within the family; [and]
(16) A
parent's prior wilful misuse of the protection from abuse process under chapter
586 to gain a tactical advantage in any proceeding involving the custody
determination of a minor. Such wilful
misuse may be considered only if it is established by clear and convincing
evidence, and if it is further found by clear and convincing evidence that in
the particular family circumstance the wilful misuse tends to show that, in the
future, the parent who engaged in the wilful misuse will not be able to
cooperate successfully with the other parent in their shared responsibilities
for the child. The court shall
articulate findings of fact whenever relying upon this factor as part of its determination
of the best interests of the child. For
the purposes of this section, when taken alone, the voluntary dismissal of a
petition for protection from abuse shall not be treated as prima facie evidence
that a wilful misuse of the protection from abuse process has occurred[.];
and
(17) Whether
the parent has a felony conviction for a violent or sexual offense in which the
victim was a minor or is required to register as a sex offender."
SECTION 3. This Act does not affect rights and duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun before its effective date.
SECTION 4. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
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INTRODUCED BY: |
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Report Title:
Family Courts; Sex Offenders; Murderers; Custody and Visitation; Significant Risk; Rebuttable Presumption; Disclosure of Information; Best Interests of the Child
Description:
Amends provisions relating to criteria and procedures in family court determinations regarding custody and visitation rights. Clarifies that a parent's felony conviction for a violent or sexual offense in which the victim was a minor, or requirement to register as a sex offender, raises a rebuttable presumption that custody or visitation by that parent is not in the best interest of the child. Requires courts to consider registration as a sex offender a presumption of risk that affects the burden of producing evidence. Requires courts to state reasons for findings in writing or on the record, including specific findings that there is no risk to the child's health, safety, and welfare.
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
