5061-S.E AMH JUD H4424.2

5061-S.E AMH JUD H4424.2

ESSB 5061 - H COMM AMD ADOPTED 3-3-94

By Committee on Judiciary

Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:

"Sec. 1. RCW 26.09.191 and 1989 c 375 s 11 and 1989 c 326 s 1 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

(1) The permanent parenting plan shall not require mutual decision-making or designation of a dispute resolution process other than court action if it is found that a parent has engaged in any of the following conduct: (a) Willful abandonment that continues for an extended period of time or substantial refusal to perform parenting functions; (b) physical, sexual, or a pattern of emotional abuse of a child; or (c) a history of acts of domestic violence as defined in RCW 26.50.010(1) or an assault or sexual assault which causes grievous bodily harm or the fear of such harm.

(2)(a) The parent's residential time with the child shall be limited if it is found that the parent has engaged in any of the following conduct: (i) Willful abandonment that continues for an extended period of time or substantial refusal to perform parenting functions; (ii) physical, sexual, or a pattern of emotional abuse of a child; or (iii) a history of acts of domestic violence as defined in RCW 26.50.010(1) or an assault or sexual assault which causes grievous bodily harm or the fear of such harm. This subsection shall not apply when (c) of this subsection applies.

(b) The parent's residential time with the child shall be limited if it is found that the parent resides with a person who has engaged in any of the following conduct: (i) Physical, sexual, or a pattern of emotional abuse of a child; or (ii) a history of acts of domestic violence as defined in RCW 26.50.010(1) or an assault or sexual assault that causes grievous bodily harm or the fear of such harm. This subsection (2)(b) shall not apply when (c) of this subsection applies.

(c) If a parent has been convicted as an adult of a sexual offense under RCW 9A.64.020 or chapter 9.68A or 9A.44 RCW, or has been found to be a sexual predator under chapter 71.09 RCW, the court shall restrain the parent from contact with a child that would otherwise be allowed under this chapter. If a parent resides with an adult who has been convicted, or with a juvenile who has been adjudicated, of a sexual offense under RCW 9A.64.020 or chapter 9.68A or 9A.44 RCW, or who has been found to be a sexual predator under chapter 71.09 RCW, the court shall restrain the parent from contact with the parent's child except contact that occurs outside that person's presence.

(d)(i) The limitations imposed by the court under (a) or (b) of this subsection shall be reasonably calculated to protect the child from physical, sexual, or emotional abuse or harm that could result if the child has contact with the parent requesting residential time. If the court expressly finds based on the evidence that limitation on the residential time with the child will not adequately protect the child from the harm or abuse that could result if the child has contact with the parent requesting residential time, the court shall restrain the parent requesting residential time from all contact with the child.

((~~(c)~~)) (ii) The court shall not enter an order under (a) of this subsection allowing a parent to have contact with a child if the parent has been found in a civil or dependency action to have sexually abused the child, except upon recommendation by an evaluator or therapist for the child that the child is ready for contact with the parent and will not be harmed by the contact. The court shall not enter an order allowing a parent to have contact with the child if the parent resides with a person who is found in a civil or dependency action to have sexually abused a child, unless the court finds that the parent accepts that the person engaged in the harmful conduct and the parent is willing to and capable of protecting the child from harm from the person.

(iii) If the court limits residential time under (a) or (b) of this subsection to require supervised contact between the child and the parent, the court shall not approve of a supervisor for contact between a child and a parent who has engaged in physical, sexual, or a pattern of emotional abuse of the child unless the court finds based upon the evidence that the supervisor accepts that the harmful conduct occurred and is willing to and capable of protecting the child from harm. The court shall revoke court approval of the supervisor upon finding, based on the evidence, that the supervisor has failed to protect the child or is no longer willing to or capable of protecting the child.

(e) If the court expressly finds based on the evidence that contact between the parent and the child will not cause physical, sexual, or emotional abuse or harm to the child and that the probability that the parent's or other person's harmful or abusive conduct will recur is so remote that it would not be in the child's best interests to apply the limitations of (a) ((~~and~~)), (b), and (d) (i) and (iii) of this subsection, or if the court expressly finds the parent's conduct did not have an impact on the child, then the court need not apply the limitations of (a) ((~~and~~)), (b), and (d) (i) and (iii) of this subsection. The weight given to the existence of a protection order issued under chapter 26.50 RCW as to domestic violence is within the discretion of the court. This subsection shall not apply when (c) and (d)(ii) of this subsection apply.

(3) A parent's involvement or conduct may have an adverse effect on the child's best interests, and the court may preclude or limit any provisions of the parenting plan, if any of the following factors exist:

(a) A parent's neglect or substantial nonperformance of parenting functions;

(b) A long-term emotional or physical impairment which interferes with the parent's performance of parenting functions as defined in RCW 26.09.004;

(c) A long-term impairment resulting from drug, alcohol, or other substance abuse that interferes with the performance of parenting functions;

(d) The absence or substantial impairment of emotional ties between the parent and the child;

(e) The abusive use of conflict by the parent which creates the danger of serious damage to the child's psychological development;

(f) A parent has withheld from the other parent access to the child for a protracted period without good cause; or

(g) Such other factors or conduct as the court expressly finds adverse to the best interests of the child.

(4) In entering a permanent parenting plan, the court shall not draw any presumptions from the provisions of the temporary parenting plan.

(5) In determining whether any of the conduct described in this section has occurred, the court shall apply the civil rules of evidence, proof, and procedure.

Sec. 2. RCW 26.10.160 and 1989 c 326 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) A parent not granted custody of the child is entitled to reasonable visitation rights except as provided in subsection (2) of this section.

(2)(a) Visitation with the child shall be limited if it is found that the parent seeking visitation has engaged in any of the following conduct: (i) Willful abandonment that continues for an extended period of time or substantial refusal to perform parenting functions; (ii) physical, sexual, or a pattern of emotional abuse of a child; or (iii) a history of acts of domestic violence as defined in RCW 26.50.010(1) or an assault or sexual assault which causes grievous bodily harm or the fear of such harm. This subsection shall not apply when (c) of this subsection applies.

(b) The parent's residential time with the child shall be limited if it is found that the parent resides with a person who has engaged in any of the following conduct: (i) Physical, sexual, or a pattern of emotional abuse of a child; or (ii) a history of acts of domestic violence as defined in RCW 26.50.010(1) or an assault or sexual assault which causes grievous bodily harm or the fear of such harm.

(d)(i) The limitations imposed by the court under (a) or (b) of this subsection shall be reasonably calculated to protect the child from the physical, sexual, or emotional abuse or harm that could result if the child has contact with the parent requesting visitation. If the court expressly finds based on the evidence that limitations on visitation with the child will not adequately protect the child from the harm or abuse that could result if the child has contact with the parent requesting visitation, the court shall restrain the person seeking visitation from all contact with the child.

((~~(c)~~)) (ii) The court shall not enter an order under (a) of this subsection allowing a parent to have contact with a child if the parent in a civil or dependency action has been found to have sexually abused the child, except upon recommendation by an evaluator or therapist for the child that the child is ready for contact with the parent and will not be harmed by the contact. The court shall not order a child to have contact with the parent under (b) of this subsection if the parent resides with a person who in a civil or dependency action has been found to have sexually abused a child, unless the court finds that the parent accepts that the person engaged in the harmful conduct and the parent is willing to and capable of protecting the child from harm from the person.

(e) If the court expressly finds based on the evidence that contact between the parent and the child will not cause physical, sexual, or emotional abuse or harm to the child and that the probability that the parent's or other person's harmful or abusive conduct will recur is so remote that it would not be in the child's best interests to apply the limitations of (a) ((~~and~~)), (b), and (d) (i) and (iii) of this subsection, or if the court expressly finds based on the evidence that the parent's conduct did not have an impact on the child, then the court need not apply the limitations of (a) ((~~and~~)), (b), and (d) (i) and (iii) of this subsection. The weight given to the existence of a protection order issued under chapter 26.50 RCW as to domestic violence is within the discretion of the court. This subsection shall not apply when (c) and (d)(ii) of this subsection apply.

(3) Any person may petition the court for visitation rights at any time including, but not limited to, custody proceedings. The court may order visitation rights for any person when visitation may serve the best interest of the child whether or not there has been any change of circumstances.

(4) The court may modify an order granting or denying visitation rights whenever modification would serve the best interests of the child. Modification of a parent's visitation rights shall be subject to the requirements of subsection (2) of this section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately."

EFFECT: The bill is rewritten. Restrictions on parent contact with a child are as follows:

(1) A parent who has been convicted of incest or other sex offenses, or is a "sexual predator," may not have contact with the parent's child.

(2) If the parent lives with a person who fits those categories, any contact the parent has with the child must be outside that person's presence.

(3) In other cases in which it is found that the parent or a person living with the parent has engaged in physical, sexual, or emotional abuse of the child or has engaged in domestic violence, the court may allow contact with the child with limitations imposed which are designed to protect the child. The court may not order contact with a child if the parent has been found in a civil or dependency action to have sexually abused the child unless the child's therapist recommends that the contact occur. If the court imposes a limitation that a supervisor supervise the contact, the supervisor must accept that the harmful conduct occurred and must be willing to and capable of protecting the child. If the court finds that a person with whom the parent resides has engaged in sexual abuse of a child, the court may not allow the parent to contact the child unless the parent accepts that the person engaged in the harmful conduct and the parent is capable and willing to protect the child from the other person.

(4) If the court expressly finds that contact between the parent and child will not harm the child then the court does not have to impose limitations on contact. This provision does not apply if the parent has been convicted of a sex offense or is a sexual predator, lives with a person who has been convicted of a sex offense or is a sexual predator, or if the child's therapist has not recommended contact between the parent and child.

The same rules apply to nonparental actions for child custody.