Date: 04/15/2014

Final
BILL SUMMARY for HB14-1362

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC HEALTH CARE & HUMAN SERVICES

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
Refer House Bill 14-1362 to the Committee of the WPASS



04:34 PM -- HB14-1362

Representative Moreno introduced House Bill 14-1362. The bill adds great-grandparents to the statutory provisions governing the visitation rights of grandparents and disputes concerning grandparent visitation.

04:38 PM -- Guillermo Serna, representing himself, testified in support of the bill and regarding his and his wife's experience raising their great-grandson and subsequent custody decisions regarding his great-grandson's care. He read the testimony of Mr. Jordan Fox in support of the bill.

04:51 PM -- Raquel Serna, representing herself, testified in support of the bill and regarding her personal experience raising her great-grandson.

04:56 PM -- Melinda Flores, representing herself, testified regarding her parents' experience raising their great-grandson and the subsequent custody decisions regarding the great-grandson's care. She spoke in support of the bill. Ms. Serna further commented on the bill.

05:01 PM -- Javier Serna, representing himself, testified in support of his grandparents' fight for visitation with their great-grandson and spoke in support of the bill.

05:05 PM -- Dorothy Macias, Office of the Child's Representative, responded to questions from the committee regarding the bill. She stated that expanded opportunities for visits with family members is good for children. She explained that a 2013 case ruled that the current grandparent visitation law did not encompass great-grandparents and this bill would align statute with the practice of allowing visitation with great-grandparents. She responded to questions from the committee regarding the opposition of the Colorado Bar Association to the bill and case law regarding grandparent visitation rights. Representative Moreno responded to questions from the committee regarding statutes governing the placement of children with great-grandparents.

05:19 PM -- Michael Valdez, Colorado Bar Association, testified regarding the association's objection to the bill and the association's preference that the bill's language be placed in Title 14, C.R.S., which governs child custody and domestic matters, rather than in Title 19, C.R.S., which concerns dependency and neglect of children. Representative Moreno commented on the process of drafting the bill. Mr. Valdez responded to questions from the committee.

05:25 PM -- Brita Darling, Office of Legislative Legal Services, came to the table to address committee questions regarding the drafting of the bill. She responded to questions from the committee regarding the placement of the grandparent visitation statute in Title 19, C.R.S., and whether statutes regarding the placement of children outside of the home could be amended to include great-grandparents.

BILL:HB14-1362
TIME: 05:34:05 PM
MOVED:Singer
MOTION:Refer House Bill 14-1362 to the Committee of the Whole. The motion passed on a vote of 12-0, with one member excused.
SECONDED:Everett
VOTE
Conti
Yes
Everett
Yes
Ginal
Yes
Joshi
Yes
Landgraf
Excused
McCann
Yes
Schafer
Yes
Singer
Yes
Stephens
Yes
Tyler
Yes
Wilson
Yes
Young
Yes
Primavera
Yes
Final YES: 12 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS



05:37 PM

The committee adjourned.