H-1887.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 1974

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State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By Representatives Wolfe, Lambert, Veloria, Dickerson, Cody, Keiser, Sullivan, Blalock, Gardner, Kenney, Cole and Anderson

Read first time 02/17/97.  Referred to Committee on Law & Justice.

Granting custody of children to grandparents.

    AN ACT Relating to granting custody of children to grandparents; and amending RCW 26.10.100.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 26.10.100 and 1987 c 460 s 38 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The court shall determine custody in accordance with the best interests of the child.

(2) It is presumed to be in the best interest of a child for the grandparent or grandparents of the child to receive custody of the child if the child is abandoned and left in the physical custody of the grandparent or grandparents by the parents of the child with no physical contact between the parents and the child for one year or more, or with only casual physical contact between the parents and child for eighteen months or more.

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