An Act relative to parental visitation and custody for children of rape victims

This bill (HD 2290) prohibits courts from granting visitation rights to a parent convicted of rape (under specific Massachusetts laws) who seeks visitation with a child conceived during the rape. It directly affects children born from rape and their convicted rapist parents. The key provision requires that such a child must personally file a custody or visitation action after reaching age 18 or being declared emancipated before a court can consider visitation. This change shifts the initiation point for custody decisions in these cases from the parent to the child. The law applies specifically to children conceived during rape, not to all custody disputes.