Bill Text: HI SB944 | 2012 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Children; Family Court
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-12-01 - Carried over to 2012 Regular Session. [SB944 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2012-SB944-Amended.html
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
944 |
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TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011 |
S.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO CHILDREN.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that children benefit from positive relationships with their parents, and it is widely recognized that children are more likely to thrive with support, guidance, and nurturing from both parents. In divorce, paternity, or custody actions, the term "visitation" is used throughout the Hawaii Revised Statutes. Rather than promoting meaningful and involved parenting, the term "visitation" limits parents to fill temporary and limited roles. Hawaii's children are better served by referring to and promoting "parenting time" rather than "visitation". This sets a more positive and optimistic approach to parenting situations where the child does not live with both parents.
The purpose of this Act is to replace the term "visitation" with the term "parenting time" only within those sections that pertain to child custody, care, and maintenance between children and their parents, and to add the term "parenting time" to those sections that reference the term "visitation" and pertain to child custody, care, and maintenance between children and any other appropriate parties. This Act is not meant to replace the term "visitation" with the term "parenting time" in chapter 583A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, the Uniform Child-Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act, or in chapter 587A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, the Child Protective Act.
SECTION 2. Section 571-2, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending the definitions of "guardianship of a minor" and "residual parental rights and responsibilities" to read as follows:
""Guardianship of a minor" means
the duty and authority to make important decisions in matters having a
permanent effect on the life and development of the minor and to be concerned
about the minor's general welfare. It includes[,] but shall not
necessarily be limited[,] in either number or kind to:
(1) The authority to consent to marriage, to enlistment in the armed forces of the United States, or to major medical, psychiatric, and surgical treatment; to represent the minor in legal actions; to make other decisions concerning the minor of substantial legal significance;
(2) The authority and duty of reasonable visitation[,]
or parenting time, except to the extent that the right of visitation or
parenting time has been limited by court order;
(3) The rights and responsibilities of legal custody when guardianship is exercised by the natural or adoptive parent, except where legal custody has been vested in another individual, agency, or institution; and
(4) The authority to consent to the adoption of the minor and to make any other decision concerning the minor that the minor's parents could make, when the rights of the minor's parents, or only living parent, have been judicially terminated as provided for in the statutes governing termination of parental rights to facilitate legal adoption, or when both of the minor's legal parents are deceased.
"Residual parental rights and
responsibilities" means those rights and responsibilities remaining with
the parent after the transfer of legal custody or guardianship of the person,
including[,] but not necessarily limited to[,] the right to
reasonable [visitation,] parenting time, consent to adoption or
marriage, and the responsibility for support."
SECTION 3. Section 571-46, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended as follows:
1. By amending its title to read:
"§571-46 Criteria and procedure
in awarding custody [and], visitation[;], or parenting
time; best interest of the child."
2. By amending subsection (a) to read:
"(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 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[[];[]]
(5) The court may hear the testimony of any person or expert, produced by any party or upon the court's own motion, whose skill, insight, knowledge, or experience is such that the person's or expert's testimony is relevant to a just and reasonable determination of what is for the best physical, mental, moral, and spiritual well-being of the child whose custody is at issue;
(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 or parenting time 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 or parenting time 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 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. In addition to other factors that a court
shall consider in a proceeding in which the custody of a child or [visitation]
parenting time by a parent is at issue, and in which the court has made
a finding of family violence by a parent:
(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;]
parenting time;
(10) A court may award [visitation] parenting
time to a parent who has committed family violence only if the court finds
that 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] parenting time order,
a court may:
(A) Order an exchange of a child to occur in a protected setting;
(B) Order [visitation] parenting
time supervised by another person or agency;
(C) Order the perpetrator of family violence
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;] parenting time;
(D) Order the perpetrator of family violence
to abstain from possession or consumption of alcohol or controlled substances
during the [visitation] parenting time and for twenty-four hours
preceding the [visitation;] parenting time;
(E) Order the perpetrator of family violence
to pay a fee to defray the costs of supervised [visitation;] parenting
time;
(F) Prohibit overnight [visitation;] parenting
time;
(G) Require a bond from the perpetrator of family violence 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;] parenting time;
(13) If a court allows a family or household member to
supervise [visitation,] parenting time, the court shall establish
conditions to be followed during [visitation;] parenting time;
and
(14) A supervised [visitation] parenting
time center shall provide a secure setting and specialized procedures for
supervised [visitation] parenting time and the transfer of
children for [visitation] parenting time and supervision by a
person trained in security and the avoidance of family violence."
SECTION 4. Section 571-96, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending its title to read as follows:
"[[]§571-96[] Visitation]
Parenting time and contact."
SECTION 5. Sections 346-55.1, 571-46.2, 571-51.5, 571-93, 571-95, 576B-305, 580-41.5, 584-15, 586-4, 586-5, 586-5.5, and 707-726, Hawaii Revised Statutes, are amended by substituting the term "parenting time" wherever the term "visitation" appears, as the context requires.
SECTION 6. This Act is not intended to change the coverage, eligibility, rights, responsibilities, or definitions referred to in the amended provisions.
SECTION 7. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 8. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
Report Title:
Children; Family Court
Description:
Substitutes "parenting time" wherever the term "visitation" appears in the Hawaii Revised Statutes, but only within the sections that pertain directly to relationships between children and their parents. Adds the term "parenting time" to sections that reference "visitation" between children and other parties. Does not apply to the Uniform Child-Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act, chapter 583A, Hawaii Revised Statutes; or the Child Protective Act, chapter 587A, Hawaii Revised Statutes. (SD1)
The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
