Bill > H0789

This bill expands the rights of grandparents and great-grandparents to seek court-ordered visitation with their grandchildren and great-grandchildren, particularly in cases where a child has been removed from parental custody due to dependency or when a parent is deceased, missing, or has been convicted of a felony. It establishes a process for grandparents to petition the court for visitation, requiring a preliminary hearing to determine if there's evidence of parental unfitness or harm to the child; if not, the petition will be dismissed, and the petitioner may have to pay the respondent's legal fees. The bill also clarifies that adoption by a stepparent or close relative does not automatically terminate existing grandparent visitation orders unless the grandparent cannot demonstrate that the criteria for visitation are still met. Furthermore, it ensures that great-grandparents are notified of adoption proceedings and that their rights are considered, aligning with the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA), which is a set of laws designed to prevent jurisdictional conflicts in child custody cases across different states.