Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
House committee hears hours of testimony on grandparents’ visitation bill; no immediate vote
Summary
Senate Bill 245 would allow grandparents who already have court-ordered visitation to petition to modify that order. Proponents described cases where a grandparent lost contact after a parent’s death; opponents warned of constitutional risks and long litigation costs.
The House Judiciary Committee held an extended hearing on Senate Bill 245, which would permit grandparents who already hold court-ordered visitation to petition a court to modify or revoke those visitation orders. Committee members did not vote on the measure and indicated they would take action at a later date after reviewing additional materials.
Senator Hodges, sponsor of the bill, told the committee the measure does not change parental custody rights and “is not about custody.” Hodges said the bill amends Georgia Code §19-7-3 to include grandparents among those who may petition to modify an existing grandparent-visitation order, noting the change grew from a constituent issue and a Court of Appeals decision (the Namdar case) that he described as limiting grandparents’ ability to seek modification.
Proponents described family situations they said the bill would address. Steve and Linda Smith, retired educators and grandparents,…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
