HB 26-1314

HB 26-1314, known as the Family Stability and Kinship Care bill, aims to improve parenting time enforcement by allowing courts to impose penalties on parents who violate existing parenting time orders. It also encourages supervised family-time services for noncustodial parents who are up-to-date with child support payments. The bill updates definitions related to grandparents and great-grandparents in court-ordered family time situations, especially when a parent is deceased. Additionally, it prioritizes placing children removed from their homes with relatives or kin whenever possible, unless it's not in the best interest of the child. Signed into law, this bill will directly affect families involved in custody disputes and those seeking kinship care options.

Official Summary

The act expands the definitions of 'grandparent' and 'great-grandparent' in the context of court-ordered family time to account for situations in which the child's father or mother is deceased.     To align with changes enacted in 2023 that address kinship and relative placements more broadly, the act repeals language specific to grandparent placements in child welfare cases and the types of evidence a court considers in connection with a grandparent's past abusive or neglectful conduct.     When a child or youth is removed from the home, the act requires the court to prioritize the child's or youth's temporary placement with a relative or kin, unless the court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that temporary placement with the relative or kin is not in the best interests of the child.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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