SENATE BILL NO. 306

INTRODUCED BY D. GRIMES, S. BARTLETT, R. CLARK, J. ELLINGSON, L. GROSFIELD, M. HALLIGAN, L. SOFT, F. THOMAS

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT REVISING THE SHOWING REQUIRED IN AN AFFIDAVIT IN SUPPORT OF A MOTION FOR AN INTERIM PARENTING PLAN; AMENDING SECTION 40-4-220, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE."

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

Section 1. Section 40-4-220, 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 2. Effective date. [This act] is effective on passage and approval.

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