Family law.

Existing law provides for various proceedings under the Family Code, including, among others, dissolution of marriage, legal separation of the parties, paternity, and custody or support of a child. Existing law authorizes the Judicial Council to provide by rule for the practice and procedure in proceedings pursuant to those provisions. This bill would require a court, in family law proceedings, to provide self-identified veterans with a list of resources for veterans, including information about how to contact the local office of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The bill would authorize a veteran to provide the information about their veteran status on a Judicial Council military service form, file the form with the court, and serve it on the other parties to the action. The bill would require the court to transmit a copy of the form to the Department of Veterans Affairs, and would require the department, within a reasonable time of receipt, to contact the person using the information provided on the form. The bill would authorize the Judicial Council to develop the rules and forms needed to implement those provisions on or before January 1, 2024. Existing law governs the determination of child custody and visitation in contested proceedings. Under existing law, custody should be granted in a specified order of preference according to the best interest of the child. This bill would, commencing January 1, 2024, require a court, in granting custody pursuant to the best interest of the child, to provide the parent, legal guardian, or relative with a list of local resources for mental health treatment and state its reasons for the finding in writing or on the record, if the court finds that the effects of a parent's, legal guardian's, or relative's history of or current mental illness are a factor in determining the best interest of the child. The bill would specify that these requirements do not relieve a court from ensuring that the health, safety, and welfare of the child is the court's primary concern in determining the best interests of children when making any order regarding the physical or legal custody, or visitation, of the child. The bill would make related findings and declarations.