SENATE BILL NO. 306

INTRODUCED BY D. GRIMES

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT PROVIDING FOR CONTINUITY OF CARE IN PARENTING PLANS FOR CHILDREN IN CUSTODY PROCEEDINGS; AMENDING SECTIONS 40-4-212, 40-4-219, AND 40-4-220, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE."

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:

Section 1. Section 40-4-212, MCA, is amended to read:

"40-4-212. Best interest of child. (1) The court shall determine the parenting plan in accordance with the best interest of the child. The court shall consider all relevant parenting factors, which may include but are not limited to:

(a) the wishes of the child's parent or parents;

(b) the wishes of the child;

(c) the interaction and interrelationship of the child with the child's parent or parents and siblings and with any other person who significantly affects the child's best interest;

(d) the child's adjustment to home, school, and community;

(e) the mental and physical health of all individuals involved;

(f) physical abuse or threat of physical abuse by one parent against the other parent or the child;

(g) chemical dependency, as defined in 53-24-103, or chemical abuse on the part of either parent;

(h) continuity and stability of care;

(i) developmental needs of the child;

(j) whether a parent has knowingly failed to pay birth-related costs that the parent is able to pay, which is considered to be not in the child's best interests;

(k) whether a parent has knowingly failed to financially support a child that the parent is able to support, which is considered to be not in the child's best interests;

(l) whether the child has frequent and continuing contact with both parents, which is considered to be in the child's best interests unless the court determines, after a hearing, that contact with a parent would be detrimental to the child's best interests. In making that determination, the court shall consider evidence of physical abuse or threat of physical abuse by one parent against the other parent or the child, including but not limited to whether a parent or other person residing in that parent's household has been convicted of any of the crimes enumerated in 40-4-219(8)(b).

(m) adverse effects on the child resulting from continuous and vexatious parenting plan amendment actions.

(2) A de facto parenting arrangement, in the absence of a prior parenting decree, does not require the child's parent or parents to prove the factors set forth in 40-4-219.

(3) The following are rebuttable presumptions and apply unless contrary to the best interest of the child:

(a) A parenting plan action brought by a parent within 6 months after a child support action against that parent is vexatious.

(b) A motion to amend a final parenting plan pursuant to 40-4-219 is vexatious if a parent seeks to amend a final parenting plan without making a good faith effort to comply with the provisions of the parenting plan or with dispute resolution provisions of the final parenting plan.

(c) The right to be designated as custodian of the child, as provided in 40-4-234(2)(a), and the right to designate the legal residence of the child pursuant to a parenting plan under 40-4-213 or 40-4-234 is granted to the parent who has provided most of the primary care during the child's life."

Section 2. Section 40-4-219, MCA, is amended to read:

"40-4-219. Amendment of parenting plan -- mediation. (1) The court may in its discretion amend a prior parenting plan if it finds, upon the basis of facts that have arisen since the prior plan or that were unknown to the court at the time of entry of the prior plan, that a change has occurred in the circumstances of the child or the parent, that the amendment is necessary to serve the best interest of the child , and that:

(a) the parents agree to the amendment;

(b) the child has been integrated into the family of the petitioner with consent of the parents;

(c) the child is 14 years of age or older and desires the amendment;

(d) one parent has willfully and consistently without good cause:

(i) refused to allow the child to have any contact with the other parent;

(ii) attempted or threatened to frustrate, deny, or delay contact with the child by the other parent; or

(iii) violated a provision of the parenting plan;

(e) one parent has changed or intends to change the child's residence in a manner that significantly affects the child's contact with the other parent; or

(f) the child's present environment seriously endangers the child's physical, mental, or emotional health and that the harm likely to be caused by a change of environment is outweighed by its advantages to the child.

(2) A court may modify a de facto parenting arrangement in accordance with the factors set forth in 40-4-212.

(3) The court shall presume a parent is not acting in the child's best interest if the parent does any of the acts specified in subsection (1)(d) or (8).

(4) The court may amend the prior parenting plan based on subsection (1)(e) to provide a new residential schedule for parental contact with the child .

(5) Attorney fees and costs must be assessed against a party seeking frivolous or repeated amendment if the court finds that the amendment action is vexatious and constitutes harassment.

(6) A parenting plan may be amended upon the death of one parent pursuant to 40-4-221.

(7) As used in this section, "prior parenting plan" means a parenting determination contained in a judicial decree or order made in a parenting proceeding. In proceedings for amendment under this section, a proposed amended parenting plan must be filed and served with the motion for amendment and with the response to the motion for amendment. Preference must be given to carrying out the parenting plan.

(8) (a) If a parent or other person residing in that parent's household has been convicted of any of the crimes listed in subsection (8)(b), the other parent or any other person who has been granted rights to the child pursuant to court order may file an objection to the current parenting order with the court. The parent or other person having rights to the child pursuant to court order shall give notice to the other parent of the objection as provided by the Montana Rules of Civil Procedure, and the other parent has 20 days from the notice to respond. If the parent who receives notice of objection fails to respond within 20 days, the parenting rights of that parent are suspended until further order of the court. If that parent responds and objects, a hearing must be held within 30 days of the response.

(b) This subsection (8) applies to the following crimes:

(i) deliberate homicide, as described in 45-5-102;

(ii) mitigated deliberate homicide, as described in 45-5-103;

(iii) sexual assault, as described in 45-5-502;

(iv) sexual intercourse without consent, as described in 45-5-503;

(v) deviate sexual conduct with an animal, as described in 45-2-101 and prohibited under 45-5-505;

(vi) incest, as described in 45-5-507;

(vii) aggravated promotion of prostitution of a child, as described in 45-5-603(1)(b);

(viii) endangering the welfare of children, as described in 45-5-622;

(ix) partner or family member assault of the type described in 45-5-206(1)(a);

(x) sexual abuse of children, as described in 45-5-625.

(9) Except in cases of physical abuse or threat of physical abuse by one parent against the other parent or the child or when a parent has been convicted of a crime enumerated in subsection (8)(b), the court may, in its discretion, order the parties to participate in a dispute resolution process to assist in resolving any conflicts between the parties regarding amendment of the parenting plan. The dispute resolution process may include counseling or mediation by a specified person or agency and court action."

Section 3. Section 40-4-220, MCA, is amended to read:

"40-4-220. Affidavit practice. (1) Unless the parties agree to an interim parenting plan or an amended parenting plan, the moving party seeking an interim parenting plan or amendment of a final parenting plan shall submit, together with the moving papers, an affidavit setting forth facts supporting the requested plan or amendment and shall give notice, together with a copy of the affidavit, to other parties to the proceeding, who may file opposing affidavits. The court shall deny the motion unless it finds that adequate cause for hearing the motion is established by the affidavits, based on the best interests of the child, in which case it shall set a date for hearing on an order to show cause why the requested plan or amendment should not be granted.

(2) (a) A party seeking an interim parenting plan may request that the court grant a temporary order providing for living arrangements for the child ex parte. The party shall make the request in the moving papers and shall submit an affidavit showing that:

(i) no previous parenting plan has been ordered by a court and it would be in the child's best interest under the standards of 40-4-212 if temporary living arrangements for the child were as proposed by the moving party; or

(ii) although a previous parenting plan has been ordered, an emergency situation has arisen in the child's present environment that endangers the child's physical, mental, or emotional health and an immediate change in the parenting plan is necessary to protect the child.

(b) If the court finds from the affidavits submitted by the moving party that the interim parenting plan proposed by the moving party would be in the child's best interest under the standards of 40-4-212 and that the child's present environment endangers the child's physical, mental, or emotional health and the child would be protected by the interim parenting plan, the court shall make an order implementing the interim parenting plan proposed by the moving party. The court shall require all parties to appear and show cause within 20 days from the execution of the interim parenting plan why the interim parenting plan should not remain in effect until further order of court."

NEW SECTION. Section 4. Effective date. [This act] is effective on passage and approval.

- END -