Sponsored bills
Provides that a blind parent's blindness, as defined in the bill, shall not be the sole basis of the denial or restriction of such parent's custody or visitation rights. The bill requires a party who alleges that a parent's blindness should be a factor to be considered to not be in the best interests of the child, or should otherwise be a reason to deny or restrict such a parent's custody or visitation rights, to prove by clear and convincing evidence that the child's best interests would not be met or served due to such parent's blindness. The bill allows a blind parent to demonstrate how supportive parenting services would appropriately address any threats to the child's best interests and further allows that such services be ordered by the court. The bill requires a court to make written findings where the court denies or restricts custody or visitation of a blind parent or where supportive parenting services are not ordered. The same requirements apply to the denial of approval of a blind prospective foster parent, or removal of a child from a blind foster parent's home, and to the denial of a final order of adoption wherein the prospective adoptive parent is blind.
Provides that any woman seeking an abortion be provided with a written informed consent form at least 24 hours before the performance of the abortion. The bill also provides that such form must contain information regarding the risks of the woman developing placenta previa and placenta accreta in future pregnancies from the performance of a surgical abortion and the attendant consequences of those conditions. The bill increases from $2,500 to $5,000 the civil penalty for a physician who fails to comply with the provisions governing the woman's informed written consent.