Assembly Bill A3702

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3702
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 30, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  TANNOUSIS  --  read once and referred to the
   Committee on Judiciary
 
 AN ACT to amend the domestic relations law and the family court act,  in
   relation to the granting of custody of a minor
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Subdivision 5 of section 240 of the domestic relations law,
 as added by section 103 of chapter 398 of the laws of  1997,  is  renum-
 bered subdivision 6 and a new subdivision 7 is added to read as follows:
   7.  NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF ANY LAW TO THE CONTRARY, NO
 COURT SHALL AWARD CUSTODY TO OR ALLOW  UNSUPERVISED  VISITATION  WITH  A
 PARENT  OR  ANY OTHER PERSON WHO HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF VIOLATING SECTION
 130.20 (SEXUAL MISCONDUCT); 130.25 (RAPE IN THE  THIRD  DEGREE);  130.30
 (RAPE  IN  THE SECOND DEGREE); 130.35 (RAPE IN THE FIRST DEGREE); 130.55
 (SEXUAL ABUSE IN THE THIRD DEGREE); 130.60 (SEXUAL ABUSE IN  THE  SECOND
 DEGREE);  130.65  (SEXUAL ABUSE IN THE FIRST DEGREE); 130.67 (AGGRAVATED
 SEXUAL ABUSE IN THE SECOND DEGREE); 130.70 (AGGRAVATED SEXUAL  ABUSE  IN
 THE  FIRST  DEGREE); 255.25 (INCEST IN THE THIRD DEGREE); 255.26 (INCEST
 IN THE SECOND DEGREE); 255.27 (INCEST IN THE FIRST DEGREE); 263.05  (USE
 OF A CHILD IN A SEXUAL PERFORMANCE); 263.10 (PROMOTING AN OBSCENE SEXUAL
 PERFORMANCE  BY  A  CHILD);  263.15 (PROMOTING A SEXUAL PERFORMANCE BY A
 CHILD); 235.21 (DISSEMINATING INDECENT MATERIAL TO MINORS IN THE  SECOND
 DEGREE);  235.22 (DISSEMINATING INDECENT MATERIAL TO MINORS IN THE FIRST
 DEGREE); 230.30 (PROMOTING PROSTITUTION IN THE  SECOND  DEGREE);  230.32
 (PROMOTING  PROSTITUTION  IN  THE  FIRST  DEGREE); OR SUBDIVISION TWO OF
 SECTION 230.25 (PROMOTING PROSTITUTION IN THE THIRD DEGREE) OF THE PENAL
 LAW, UNLESS THE COURT FINDS THAT THERE IS NO  SIGNIFICANT  RISK  TO  THE
 CHILD.
   §  2.  Subdivision (a) of section 70 of the domestic relations law, as
 amended by chapter 457 of the laws  of  1988,  is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03770-01-5
              

 A. 3702                             2
 
   (a)   Where a minor child is residing within this state, either parent
 may apply to the supreme court for a writ of habeas corpus to have  such
 minor  child  brought  before such court; and on the return thereof, the
 court, on due consideration, may award the natural guardianship,  charge
 and  custody  of  such  child to either parent for such time, under such
 regulations and restrictions, and with such provisions  and  directions,
 as the case may require, and may at any time thereafter vacate or modify
 such  order.    In  all cases there shall be no prima facie right to the
 custody of the child in either parent, but  the  court  shall  determine
 solely  what  is  for the best interest of the child, and what will best
 promote its welfare and happiness, and make award  accordingly  SUBJECT,
 HOWEVER,  TO  THE PROVISIONS OF SUBDIVISION SEVEN OF SECTION TWO HUNDRED
 FORTY OF THIS CHAPTER.
   § 3. Subdivisions (a), (b) and (c) of section 651 of the family  court
 act,  subdivision  (a)  as  amended  by chapter 182 of the laws of 2019,
 subdivision (b) as amended by chapter 657 of the laws of 2003 and subdi-
 vision (c) as amended by chapter 85 of the laws of 1996, are amended  to
 read as follows:
   (a) When referred from the supreme court or county court to the family
 court,  the  family  court  has jurisdiction to determine, in accordance
 with subdivisions one and one-c of section  two  hundred  forty  of  the
 domestic relations law and with the same powers possessed by the supreme
 court  in  addition  to  its  own  powers, habeas corpus proceedings and
 proceedings brought by petition and order to show cause, for the  deter-
 mination of the custody or visitation of minors SUBJECT, HOWEVER, TO THE
 LIMITATIONS  SET FORTH IN SUBDIVISION SEVEN OF SECTION TWO HUNDRED FORTY
 OF THE DOMESTIC RELATIONS LAW REGARDING THE AWARDING OF CUSTODY OR UNSU-
 PERVISED VISITATION TO A PERSON WHO HAS BEEN CONVICTED  OF  ANY  OF  THE
 OFFENSES ENUMERATED IN SUCH SUBDIVISION.
   (b) When initiated in the family court, the family court has jurisdic-
 tion  to  determine,  in  accordance with subdivision one of section two
 hundred forty of the domestic relations law and  with  the  same  powers
 possessed  by  the  supreme  court in addition to its own powers, habeas
 corpus proceedings and proceedings brought by petition and order to show
 cause, for the determination of the custody  or  visitation  of  minors,
 including  applications  by a grandparent or grandparents for visitation
 or custody rights pursuant to section seventy-two or two  hundred  forty
 of  the  domestic relations law SUBJECT, HOWEVER, TO THE LIMITATIONS SET
 FORTH IN SUBDIVISION SEVEN OF SECTION TWO HUNDRED FORTY OF THE  DOMESTIC
 RELATIONS  LAW REGARDING THE AWARDING OF CUSTODY OR UNSUPERVISED VISITA-
 TION TO A PERSON WHO HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF ANY OF THE  OFFENSES  ENUMER-
 ATED IN SUCH SUBDIVISION.
   (c)  When  initiated  in the family court pursuant to a petition under
 part eight of article ten of this act or section  three  hundred  fifty-
 eight-a of the social services law, the family court has jurisdiction to
 enforce  or  modify orders or judgments of the supreme court relating to
 the visitation of minors in foster care, notwithstanding any  limitation
 contained in subdivision (b) of section four hundred sixty-seven of this
 act  BUT  SUBJECT,  HOWEVER, TO THE LIMITATIONS SET FORTH IN SUBDIVISION
 SEVEN OF SECTION TWO HUNDRED FORTY OF THE DOMESTIC RELATIONS LAW REGARD-
 ING THE AWARDING OF CUSTODY OR UNSUPERVISED VISITATION TO A  PERSON  WHO
 HAS   BEEN   CONVICTED  OF  ANY  OF  THE  OFFENSES  ENUMERATED  IN  SUCH
 SUBDIVISION.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.