Bill > S0956

This bill amends the existing Florida law on grandparent visitation. The key changes are: (1) allowing grandparents to petition for visitation if one or both of the minor child's parents are deceased, missing, or in a persistent vegetative state, rather than the previous criteria of parental unfitness or significant harm to the child; (2) requiring the court to hold a preliminary hearing to determine if the grandparent has made a prima facie showing of the parent's status before proceeding; and (3) modifying the factors the court must consider in determining the best interests of the child and whether visitation would materially harm the parent-child relationship. The bill also makes some technical changes and sets an effective date of July 1, 2024.