Bill Text: MI HB4074 | 2019-2020 | 100th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Family law; child custody; exemption allowing person convicted of certain criminal sexual conduct to be granted custody; remove. Amends secs. 5 & 7a of 1970 PA 91 (MCL 722.25 & 722.27a).

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-01-24 - Bill Electronically Reproduced 01/23/2019 [HB4074 Detail]

Download: Michigan-2019-HB4074-Introduced.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE BILL No. 4074

 

 

January 23, 2019, Introduced by Reps. Hope, Pagan, Ellison, Rendon, Anthony, Brixie and Love and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

     A bill to amend 1970 PA 91, entitled

 

"Child custody act of 1970,"

 

by amending sections 5 and 7a (MCL 722.25 and 722.27a), as amended

 

by 2016 PA 96.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 5. (1) If a child custody dispute is between the parents,

 

between agencies, or between third persons, the best interests of

 

the child control. If the child custody dispute is between the

 

parent or parents and an agency or a third person, the court shall

 

presume that the best interests of the child are served by awarding

 

custody to the parent or parents, unless the contrary is

 

established by clear and convincing evidence.

 

     (2) Notwithstanding other provisions of this act, if a child

 

custody dispute involves a child who is conceived as the result of

 

acts for which 1 of the child's biological parents is convicted of


criminal sexual conduct as provided in sections 520a to 520e and

 

520g of the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.520a to

 

750.520e and 750.520g, or a substantially similar statute of

 

another state or the federal government, or is found by clear and

 

convincing evidence in a fact-finding hearing to have committed

 

acts of nonconsensual sexual penetration, the court shall not award

 

custody to that biological parent. This subsection does not apply

 

to a conviction under section 520d(1)(a) of the Michigan penal

 

code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.520d. This subsection does not apply if,

 

after the date of the conviction, or the date of the finding in a

 

fact-finding hearing described in this subsection, the biological

 

parents cohabit and establish a mutual custodial environment for

 

the child.

 

     (3) An offending parent is not entitled to custody of a child

 

described in subsection (2) without the consent of that child's

 

other parent or guardian.

 

     (4) Notwithstanding other provisions of this act, subsection

 

(2) does not relieve an offending parent of any support or

 

maintenance obligation to the child. The other parent or the

 

guardian of the child may decline support or maintenance from the

 

offending parent.

 

     (5) A parent may assert an affirmative defense of the

 

provisions of subsection (2) in a proceeding brought by the

 

offending parent regarding a child described in subsection (2).

 

     (6) Notwithstanding other provisions of this act, if an

 

individual is convicted of criminal sexual conduct as provided in

 

sections 520a to 520e and 520g of the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA


328, MCL 750.520a to 750.520e and 750.520g, and the victim is the

 

individual's child, the court shall not award custody of that child

 

or a sibling of that child to that individual, unless both the

 

child's other parent and, if the court considers the child or

 

sibling to be of sufficient age to express his or her desires, the

 

child or sibling consent to the custody.

 

     (7) As used in this section, "offending parent" means a parent

 

who has been convicted of criminal sexual conduct as described in

 

subsection (2) or who has been found by clear and convincing

 

evidence in a fact-finding hearing to have committed acts of

 

nonconsensual sexual penetration as described in subsection (2).

 

     Sec. 7a. (1) Parenting time shall be granted in accordance

 

with the best interests of the child. It is presumed to be in the

 

best interests of a child for the child to have a strong

 

relationship with both of his or her parents. Except as otherwise

 

provided in this section, parenting time shall be granted to a

 

parent in a frequency, duration, and type reasonably calculated to

 

promote a strong relationship between the child and the parent

 

granted parenting time.

 

     (2) If the parents of a child agree on parenting time terms,

 

the court shall order the parenting time terms unless the court

 

determines on the record by clear and convincing evidence that the

 

parenting time terms are not in the best interests of the child.

 

     (3) A child has a right to parenting time with a parent unless

 

it is shown on the record by clear and convincing evidence that it

 

would endanger the child's physical, mental, or emotional health.

 

     (4) Notwithstanding other provisions of this act, if a


proceeding regarding parenting time involves a child who is

 

conceived as the result of acts for which 1 of the child's

 

biological parents is convicted of criminal sexual conduct as

 

provided in sections 520a to 520e and 520g of the Michigan penal

 

code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.520a to 750.520e and 750.520g, or a

 

substantially similar statute of another state or the federal

 

government, or is found by clear and convincing evidence in a fact-

 

finding hearing to have committed acts of nonconsensual sexual

 

penetration, the court shall not grant parenting time to that

 

biological parent. This subsection does not apply to a conviction

 

under section 520d(1)(a) of the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328,

 

MCL 750.520d. This subsection does not apply if, after the date of

 

the conviction, or the date of the finding in a fact-finding

 

hearing described in this subsection, the biological parents

 

cohabit and establish a mutual custodial environment for the child.

 

     (5) A parent may assert an affirmative defense of the

 

provisions of subsection (4) in a proceeding brought by the

 

offending parent regarding a child described in subsection (4).

 

     (6) Notwithstanding other provisions of this act, if an

 

individual is convicted of criminal sexual conduct as provided in

 

sections 520a to 520e and 520g of the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA

 

328, MCL 750.520a to 750.520e and 750.520g, and the victim is the

 

individual's child, the court shall not grant parenting time with

 

that child or a sibling of that child to that individual, unless

 

both the child's other parent and, if the court considers the child

 

or sibling to be of sufficient age to express his or her desires,

 

the child or sibling consent to the parenting time.


     (7) The court may consider the following factors when

 

determining the frequency, duration, and type of parenting time to

 

be granted:

 

     (a) The existence of any special circumstances or needs of the

 

child.

 

     (b) Whether the child is a nursing child less than 6 months of

 

age, or less than 1 year of age if the child receives substantial

 

nutrition through nursing.

 

     (c) The reasonable likelihood of abuse or neglect of the child

 

during parenting time.

 

     (d) The reasonable likelihood of abuse of a parent resulting

 

from the exercise of parenting time.

 

     (e) The inconvenience to, and burdensome impact or effect on,

 

the child of traveling for purposes of parenting time.

 

     (f) Whether a parent can reasonably be expected to exercise

 

parenting time in accordance with the court order.

 

     (g) Whether a parent has frequently failed to exercise

 

reasonable parenting time.

 

     (h) The threatened or actual detention of the child with the

 

intent to retain or conceal the child from the other parent or from

 

a third person who has legal custody. A custodial parent's

 

temporary residence with the child in a domestic violence shelter

 

shall not be construed as evidence of the custodial parent's intent

 

to retain or conceal the child from the other parent.

 

     (i) Any other relevant factors.

 

     (8) Parenting time shall be granted in specific terms if

 

requested by either party at any time.


     (9) A parenting time order may contain any reasonable terms or

 

conditions that facilitate the orderly and meaningful exercise of

 

parenting time by a parent, including 1 or more of the following:

 

     (a) Division of the responsibility to transport the child.

 

     (b) Division of the cost of transporting the child.

 

     (c) Restrictions on the presence of third persons during

 

parenting time.

 

     (d) Requirements that the child be ready for parenting time at

 

a specific time.

 

     (e) Requirements that the parent arrive for parenting time and

 

return the child from parenting time at specific times.

 

     (f) Requirements that parenting time occur in the presence of

 

a third person or agency.

 

     (g) Requirements that a party post a bond to assure compliance

 

with a parenting time order.

 

     (h) Requirements of reasonable notice when parenting time will

 

not occur.

 

     (i) Any other reasonable condition determined to be

 

appropriate in the particular case.

 

     (10) Except as provided in this subsection, a parenting time

 

order shall contain a prohibition on exercising parenting time in a

 

country that is not a party to the Hague Convention on the Civil

 

Aspects of International Child Abduction. This subsection does not

 

apply if both parents provide the court with written consent to

 

allow a parent to exercise parenting time in a country that is not

 

a party to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of

 

International Child Abduction.


     (11) During the time a child is with a parent to whom

 

parenting time has been awarded, that parent shall decide all

 

routine matters concerning the child.

 

     (12) Prior to Before entry of a temporary order, a parent may

 

seek an ex parte interim order concerning parenting time. If the

 

court enters an ex parte interim order concerning parenting time,

 

the party on whose motion the ex parte interim order is entered

 

shall must have a true copy of the order served on the friend of

 

the court and the opposing party.

 

     (13) If the opposing party objects to the ex parte interim

 

order, he or she shall must file with the clerk of the court within

 

14 days after receiving notice of the order a written objection to,

 

or a motion to modify or rescind, the ex parte interim order. The

 

opposing party shall must have a true copy of the written objection

 

or motion served on the friend of the court and the party who

 

obtained the ex parte interim order.

 

     (14) If the opposing party files a written objection to the ex

 

parte interim order, the friend of the court shall attempt to

 

resolve the dispute within 14 days after receiving it. If the

 

matter cannot be resolved, the friend of the court shall provide

 

the opposing party with a form motion and order with written

 

instructions for their use in modifying or rescinding the ex parte

 

order without assistance of counsel. If the opposing party wishes

 

to proceed without assistance of counsel, the friend of the court

 

shall schedule a hearing with the court that shall be held within

 

21 days after the filing of the motion. If the opposing party files

 

a motion to modify or rescind the ex parte interim order and


requests a hearing, the court shall resolve the dispute within 28

 

days after the hearing is requested.

 

     (15) An ex parte interim order issued under this section shall

 

contain the following notice:

 

     NOTICE:

 

     1. You may file a written objection to this order or a motion

 

to modify or rescind this order. You must file the written

 

objection or motion with the clerk of the court within 14 days

 

after you were served with this order. You must serve a true copy

 

of the objection or motion on the friend of the court and the party

 

who obtained the order.

 

     2. If you file a written objection, the friend of the court

 

must try to resolve the dispute. If the friend of the court cannot

 

resolve the dispute and if you wish to bring the matter before the

 

court without the assistance of counsel, the friend of the court

 

must provide you with form pleadings and written instructions and

 

must schedule a hearing with the court.

 

     (16) As provided in the servicemembers civil relief act, 50

 

USC 501 to 597b, if a motion for change of parenting time is filed

 

during the time a parent is on deployment, a parent may file and

 

the court shall entertain an application for stay. The court shall

 

presume that the best interests of the child are served by not

 

entering an order modifying or amending a previous judgment or

 

order, or issuing a new order, that changes the parenting time that

 

existed on the date the parent was called to deployment, unless the

 

contrary is established by clear and convincing evidence, at which

 

time the court may enter a temporary parenting time order. When a


temporary parenting time order is issued under this subsection, the

 

court may include a limit on the period of time that the temporary

 

parenting time order remains in effect. At any stage before final

 

judgment in the proceeding, the parent may file an application for

 

stay or otherwise request a stay of proceedings or file an

 

application for an extension of a stay. The parent and the

 

custodial child are not required to be present to consider the

 

application for stay or extension of a stay. The application for

 

stay or extension of a stay is sufficient if it is a signed,

 

written statement, certified to be true under penalty of perjury.

 

The same conditions for the initial stay apply to applications for

 

an extension of a stay.

 

     (17) The parent shall inform the court of the deployment end

 

date before or within 30 days after that deployment end date. Upon

 

notification of a parent's deployment end date, the court shall

 

reinstate the parenting time order in effect immediately preceding

 

that period of deployment. If a motion for change of parenting time

 

is filed after a parent returns from deployment, the court shall

 

not consider a parent's absence due to that deployment in making a

 

determination regarding change of parenting time. Future

 

deployments shall not be considered in making a best interest of

 

the child determination.

 

     (18) If the deploying parent and the other parent share

 

custody, the deploying parent must notify the other parent of an

 

upcoming deployment within a reasonable period of time.

 

     (19) As used in this section, "offending parent" means a

 

parent who has been convicted of criminal sexual conduct as


described in subsection (4) or who has been found by clear and

 

convincing evidence in a fact-finding hearing to have committed

 

acts of nonconsensual sexual penetration as described in subsection

 

(4).

 

     Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect 90 days

 

after the date it is enacted into law.

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