The House Judiciary Committee heard HB 1278 on grandparent visitation by Rep. Bauer. This bill amends statutes regarding standing to seek grandparent visitation and survival of judicially granted grandparent visitation rights; to specify that standing to seek visitation survives adoption of the grandchild. It also provides that a paternal grandparent of a child does not have standing to seek grandparent visitation if the child’s father has not established paternity in relation to the child. Under current law, such a grandparent has standing to seek grandparent visitation, but may not be awarded grandparent visitation. The bill removes a requirement that a petition to seek grandparent visitation must be filed before the adoption of the child and provides conditions under which standing to seek grandparent visitation survives establishment of the paternity of the child and the adoption of the child by certain family members. Finally, the bill provides that grandparent visitation awarded before adoption of the child by certain family members does not survive the adoption if neither of the child’s parents has parental rights at the time of the adoption.
A technical amendment was adopted by consent. A set of grandparents testified in favor of the bill. The amended bill passed 9-1.
Read the bill at: http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2020/bills/house/1278