Bill Text: NY A01982 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Provides that the issue of military deployment shall not be considered as a factor in the awarding of custody in marital actions where a suitable child care plan is presented.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 9-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - referred to judiciary [A01982 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A01982-Introduced.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          1982

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    January 23, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M. of A. HAWLEY, MORINELLO, SMULLEN, ANGELINO, GALLAHAN,
          LEMONDES, DeSTEFANO, MANKTELOW --  Multi-Sponsored  by  --  M.  of  A.
          BARCLAY -- read once and referred to the Committee on Judiciary

        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  domestic relations law, in relation to determi-
          nations of child custody in matrimonial actions

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1.  Section  70  of  the domestic relations law is amended by
     2  adding a new subdivision (c) to read as follows:
     3    (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to  the  contrary,  the
     4  court shall not consider the deployment of a parent in active service of
     5  the armed forces of the United States or of the organized militia of the
     6  state  of New York as a detrimental factor to the awarding of custody of
     7  a child where a suitable child care plan for the period of such  deploy-
     8  ment has been presented to the court by the petitioning parent.
     9    §  2.  Paragraph  (a)  of subdivision 1 of section 240 of the domestic
    10  relations law, as amended by chapter 567 of the laws of 2015, is amended
    11  and a new subdivision 1-d is added to read as follows:
    12    (a) In any action or proceeding brought (1) to annul a marriage or  to
    13  declare  the nullity of a void marriage, or (2) for a separation, or (3)
    14  for a divorce, or (4) to obtain, by a writ of habeas corpus or by  peti-
    15  tion and order to show cause, the custody of or right to visitation with
    16  any  child  of  a  marriage, the court shall require verification of the
    17  status of any child of the marriage with respect to such child's custody
    18  and support, including any prior orders,  and  shall  enter  orders  for
    19  custody  and  support  as,  in the court's discretion, justice requires,
    20  having regard to the circumstances of the case  and  of  the  respective
    21  parties  and  to  the  best  interests  of  the child and subject to the
    22  provisions  of  [subdivision]  subdivisions  one-c  and  one-d  of  this
    23  section.  Where  either  party  to  an action concerning custody of or a
    24  right to visitation  with  a  child  alleges  in  a  sworn  petition  or

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD04351-01-3

        A. 1982                             2

     1  complaint  or  sworn answer, cross-petition, counterclaim or other sworn
     2  responsive pleading that the other party has committed an act of  domes-
     3  tic  violence  against  the  party  making the allegation or a family or
     4  household  member of either party, as such family or household member is
     5  defined in article eight of the family court act, and  such  allegations
     6  are  proven  by a preponderance of the evidence, the court must consider
     7  the effect of such domestic violence upon  the  best  interests  of  the
     8  child,  together  with  such  other facts and circumstances as the court
     9  deems relevant in making a direction pursuant to this section and  state
    10  on  the  record how such findings, facts and circumstances factored into
    11  the direction. If a parent makes a good  faith  allegation  based  on  a
    12  reasonable  belief  supported  by  facts that the child is the victim of
    13  child abuse, child neglect, or the effects of domestic violence, and  if
    14  that  parent acts lawfully and in good faith in response to that reason-
    15  able belief to protect the child or seek treatment for the  child,  then
    16  that parent shall not be deprived of custody, visitation or contact with
    17  the child, or restricted in custody, visitation or contact, based solely
    18  on  that belief or the reasonable actions taken based on that belief. If
    19  an allegation that a child is abused is supported by a preponderance  of
    20  the  evidence,  then  the court shall consider such evidence of abuse in
    21  determining the visitation arrangement that is in the best  interest  of
    22  the  child,  and  the  court shall not place a child in the custody of a
    23  parent who presents a substantial risk of harm to that child, and  shall
    24  state  on  the  record how such findings were factored into the determi-
    25  nation. Where a proceeding filed pursuant to article ten or ten-A of the
    26  family court act is pending at the same time as a proceeding brought  in
    27  the supreme court involving the custody of, or right to visitation with,
    28  any  child  of a marriage, the court presiding over the proceeding under
    29  article ten or ten-A of the family court act may jointly hear the dispo-
    30  sitional hearing on the petition under article  ten  or  the  permanency
    31  hearing  under  article ten-A of the family court act and, upon referral
    32  from the supreme court, the hearing to resolve the matter of custody  or
    33  visitation  in  the  proceeding  pending  in the supreme court; provided
    34  however, the court must determine custody or  visitation  in  accordance
    35  with the terms of this section.
    36    An  order  directing  the  payment  of child support shall contain the
    37  social security numbers of the named parties. In all cases  there  shall
    38  be  no  prima  facie right to the custody of the child in either parent.
    39  Such direction shall make provision for child support out of the proper-
    40  ty of either or both parents. The court shall make its award  for  child
    41  support  pursuant  to  subdivision one-b of this section. Such direction
    42  may provide for reasonable visitation  rights  to  the  maternal  and/or
    43  paternal  grandparents of any child of the parties. Such direction as it
    44  applies to rights of visitation with a child remanded or placed  in  the
    45  care  of  a  person, official, agency or institution pursuant to article
    46  ten of the family court act, or pursuant to an instrument approved under
    47  section three hundred fifty-eight-a of the social services law, shall be
    48  enforceable pursuant to part eight of article ten of  the  family  court
    49  act  and  sections three hundred fifty-eight-a and three hundred eighty-
    50  four-a of the social services law and other applicable provisions of law
    51  against any person having care and custody, or temporary care and custo-
    52  dy, of the child. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any  writ-
    53  ten  application or motion to the court for the establishment, modifica-
    54  tion or enforcement of a child support obligation  for  persons  not  in
    55  receipt  of public assistance and care must contain either a request for
    56  child support enforcement services which would authorize the  collection

        A. 1982                             3

     1  of  the  support  obligation  by  the  immediate  issuance  of an income
     2  execution for support enforcement  as  provided  for  by  this  chapter,
     3  completed in the manner specified in section one hundred eleven-g of the
     4  social  services  law; or a statement that the applicant has applied for
     5  or is in receipt of such services; or a  statement  that  the  applicant
     6  knows  of  the  availability of such services, has declined them at this
     7  time and where support enforcement  services  pursuant  to  section  one
     8  hundred  eleven-g of the social services law have been declined that the
     9  applicant understands that an  income  deduction  order  may  be  issued
    10  pursuant  to  subdivision  (c) of section fifty-two hundred forty-two of
    11  the civil practice law and rules without other child support enforcement
    12  services and that payment of an administrative fee may be required.  The
    13  court  shall  provide  a  copy  of  any  such  request for child support
    14  enforcement services to the support collection unit of  the  appropriate
    15  social services district any time it directs payments to be made to such
    16  support  collection  unit.  Additionally,  the  copy of any such request
    17  shall be accompanied by the name, address and social security number  of
    18  the  parties;  the date and place of the parties' marriage; the name and
    19  date of birth of the child or children; and the name and address of  the
    20  employers  and  income  payors  of  the party from whom child support is
    21  sought or from the party ordered to  pay  child  support  to  the  other
    22  party.  Such direction may require the payment of a sum or sums of money
    23  either directly to the custodial parent or to third persons for goods or
    24  services furnished for such child, or for both payments to the custodial
    25  parent and to such third persons; provided,  however,  that  unless  the
    26  party seeking or receiving child support has applied for or is receiving
    27  such  services,  the  court shall not direct such payments to be made to
    28  the support collection unit,  as  established  in  section  one  hundred
    29  eleven-h  of  the social services law. Every order directing the payment
    30  of support shall require that if either parent currently, or at any time
    31  in the future, has health  insurance  benefits  available  that  may  be
    32  extended  or  obtained  to  cover  the child, such parent is required to
    33  exercise the option of additional coverage in favor of  such  child  and
    34  execute  and  deliver  to  such  person any forms, notices, documents or
    35  instruments necessary to assure timely payment of any  health  insurance
    36  claims for such child.
    37    1-d.  Notwithstanding  any other provision of law to the contrary, the
    38  court shall not consider the deployment of a parent in active service of
    39  the armed forces of the United States or of the organized militia of the
    40  state of New York as a detrimental factor to the awarding of custody  of
    41  a child to a petitioning parent where a suitable child care plan for the
    42  period  of  such  deployment  has  been  presented  to the court by such
    43  parent.
    44    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
feedback