An Act relative to visitation rights of grandparents

This bill amends Massachusetts law to allow courts to consider a grandparent's visitation rights when the state has custody of a child or a non-parent has temporary guardianship. Under the new provision, judges may grant visitation even if the grandparent does not have a preexisting relationship with the child, focusing instead on whether visitation serves the child's best interests. The change directly affects grandparents seeking access to grandchildren in cases where the parents are unable to care for the child.