Committee Summary for Senate Children and Family Law (10/23/2025)

Bill/Time	Type	Title	Sponsor
HB486 00:08:56.880 - 8:22:57 AM	Executive Session	relative to grandparents' visitation rights.	Nelson, Jodi(R)[B]2025

HB486: Unidentified Committee Member Information Only00:08:56.880 - 8:22:57 AM; The member notes there is no amendment and references an issue on pages 115 through 117 regarding adding whether grandparents had requested and were denied visitation. They appreciate the bill's intent but argue it would be counterproductive in a year where a parental bill of rights is passed.
HB486: Unidentified Committee Member - POTENTIALLY NEW SPEAKER Oppose00:09:49.040 - 8:23:50 AM; The member discusses moral objections to excluding grandparents but emphasizes that parents have the right to make decisions, even bad ones, such as retaliating against grandparents during disputes. They share a personal anecdote about a friend's parents being denied access to a grandchild after the friend's passing and argue that legislation cannot fully address bad parenting without contradicting parental rights.
HB486: Unidentified Committee Member Information Only00:11:12.240 - 8:25:13 AM; The member acknowledges the bill's good initial intent to allow grandparents visitation before a completed divorce but notes it complicates matters by not addressing parents' determinations of the child's best interests. They question when judges should override parental rights.
HB486: Unidentified Committee Member Oppose00:11:12.240 - 8:25:13 AM; The member describes the circumstances presented as heartbreaking and notes the grandparents' love for their grandchildren. However, they argue families are messy, and family courts must balance for the children's best interests without a broad policy that lacks room for individual circumstances.
HB486: Unidentified Committee Member Oppose00:12:30.880 - 8:26:31 AM; The member explains that arguments about parents depriving children of positive grandparent influence can be raised in court as part of determining the child's best interests. They suggest an Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL) would be too harsh and prefer an interim study motion instead.