HB 185 (2023)
Establish policy in favor of equal parenting time, require towns, school districts to post amount of state funding online, add retirement benefits for police/firefighters after violent injury
Creates a presumption that equal parenting time is in the best interest of the child when custody comes before the court. This bill creates a similar presumption in favor of shared access to the child's records. This presumption could be overcome by various factors, including criminal abuse of the child.
The House simplified the bill to say that it is the policy of the state to support approximately equal parenting time. (The House also tried to add that text to SB 574 but did not succeed.)
Meanwhile the Senate amended the bill to instead "encourage" approximately equal parenting time. The Senate then added the text of SB 532 and SB 134 to this bill. SB 532 requires towns, cities, and school districts to post the amount of funds received by the state on their website within 30 days. SB 134 establishes a retirement system benefit for firefighters and law enforcement who retire due to a violent act injury.
The House agreed to pass the Senate's final version of the bill.
