| Old | New | Differences | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | ||
| 2 | 2 | ||
| 3 | 3 | EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW. | |
| 4 | 4 | [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law. | |
| 5 | 5 | *sb0889* | |
| 6 | 6 | ||
| 7 | 7 | SENATE BILL 889 | |
| 8 | 8 | D4 2lr1647 | |
| 9 | 9 | ||
| 10 | 10 | By: Senator Lee | |
| 11 | 11 | Introduced and read first time: February 7, 2022 | |
| 12 | 12 | Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings | |
| 13 | 13 | ||
| 14 | 14 | A BILL ENTITLED | |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| 16 | 16 | AN ACT concerning 1 | |
| 17 | 17 | ||
| 18 | 18 | Family Law – Child Custody Actions – Considered Judgment of Minor Children 2 | |
| 19 | 19 | ||
| 20 | 20 | FOR the purpose of establishing a rebuttable presumption that certain minor children in 3 | |
| 21 | 21 | certain actions involving child custody or child access have considered judgment; 4 | |
| 22 | 22 | requiring a child advocate attorney to be appointed to represent a certain child under 5 | |
| 23 | 23 | certain circumstances; authorizing a certain child to take certain actions as though 6 | |
| 24 | 24 | the child were a party under certain circumstances; and generally relating to the 7 | |
| 25 | 25 | considered judgment of minor children in actions involving child custody or child 8 | |
| 26 | 26 | access. 9 | |
| 27 | 27 | ||
| 28 | 28 | BY adding to 10 | |
| 29 | 29 | Article – Family Law 11 | |
| 30 | 30 | Section 1–202.1 12 | |
| 31 | 31 | Annotated Code of Maryland 13 | |
| 32 | 32 | (2019 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 14 | |
| 33 | 33 | ||
| 34 | 34 | SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 15 | |
| 35 | 35 | That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 16 | |
| 36 | 36 | ||
| 37 | 37 | Article – Family Law 17 | |
| 38 | 38 | ||
| 39 | 39 | 1–202.1. 18 | |
| 40 | 40 | ||
| 41 | 41 | (A) IN AN ACTION INVOLVIN G CHILD CUSTODY OR C HILD ACCESS, THERE IS 19 | |
| 42 | 42 | A REBUTTABLE PRESUMP TION THAT A MINOR CHILD AT LEAST 13 YEARS OLD HAS 20 | |
| 43 | 43 | CONSIDERED JUDGMENT . 21 | |
| 44 | 44 | ||
| 45 | 45 | (B) IF A CHILD HAS CONSID ERED JUDGMENT UNDER THIS SECTION: 22 | |
| 46 | 46 | 2 SENATE BILL 889 | |
| 47 | 47 | ||
| 48 | 48 | ||
| 49 | 49 | (1) A CHILD ADVOCATE ATT ORNEY SHALL BE APPOINTED TO 1 | |
| 50 | 50 | REPRESENT THE CHILD; AND 2 | |
| 51 | 51 | ||
| 52 | 52 | (2) THE CHILD MAY FILE M OTIONS AND TESTIFY REGARDING THE 3 | |
| 53 | 53 | CHILD’S PREFERENCES AS THOUG H THE CHILD WERE A P ARTY. 4 | |
| 54 | 54 | ||
| 55 | 55 | SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 5 | |
| 56 | 56 | October 1, 2022. 6 |