Parental Equality & Child Empowerment Act

Under current law, the court is required to determine the allocation of parental responsibilities, including parenting time and decision-making responsibilities, based on the best interests of the child.The bill creates a rebuttable presumption that it is in the best interests of the child to allocate equal parenting time to both parents if both parents reside within 25 miles of a reasonable location determined by the court, including the child's child care, preschool, school, the location where the child participates in their educational program, or another reasonable location. The presumption may be rebutted based on clear and convincing evidence that equal parenting time is not in the best interests of the child.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)