Bill > SB1139

This bill, concerning family court proceedings related to legal decision-making and parenting time, establishes new rules for therapeutic interventions and expert testimony. Specifically, it states that a court cannot order any therapeutic intervention or paid service, or require one parent to pay for such services, without the consent of both parents, and either parent can withdraw their consent at any time. Furthermore, expert testimony in these cases, whether related to therapeutic intervention, child development, mental or physical health, domestic violence, or substance abuse, is only admissible if the expert has specialized training and significant clinical experience with children in a therapeutic setting, and their opinions are supported by professional standards and established clinical practices, not unproven theories. This bill also clarifies that individuals conducting investigations or evaluations for the court in these matters must meet these same expert qualifications. For the purposes of this bill, a "paid service" is any service provided for compensation, and "therapeutic intervention" includes any therapy, treatment, or counseling aimed at improving parent-child or parent-parent relationships, as well as court-ordered behavioral interventions.

Justice

https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/83916