Subcommittee approves amendment to allow attorney fees in grandparents-visitation cases

House Bill 492, a measure addressing grandparents' visitation rights, was amended and approved by the Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee and advanced to full judiciary on a 7-0 voice vote.

The bill's sponsor, Chairman Farmer, told the committee the measure was brought by the Tennessee Bar Association and the Family Law Executive Council and would permit a court to award reasonable attorney's fees and other litigation expenses to either party in an action for grandparent visitation brought under the statute the sponsor cited. He described the change as "very simple" and said it builds on prior efforts by the Legislature to clarify grandparents' rights.

Members asked no substantive legal questions on the floor during debate. Representative Towns and other members voiced support on policy grounds, with Towns thanking the sponsor and noting long-standing interest in grandparents' rights. The committee adopted amendment 003777 and then passed House Bill 492 as amended. The clerk recorded seven ayes; no individual roll-call names were recorded in the transcript.

The amendment was added on the floor after being properly motioned and seconded. After the voice vote the chair announced that House Bill 492 as amended "moves out to full judiciary." No further action on the bill was taken during the session.

Because the committee transcript referenced a statutory citation verbally, the article limits its description to the text offered at the meeting and does not restate or correct that citation.

House Bill 492 now proceeds to the full Judiciary Committee for further consideration.