Senate Judiciary Hears Wide-Ranging Testimony on Shared‑Parenting Bill; Committee Takes No Action

The Wyoming Senate Judiciary Committee heard more than three hours of testimony on Senate File 117, a proposal to create a presumption of shared parenting for custody cases, but the committee did not move the bill and closed public comment.

Supporters said the bill would normalize shared parenting and keep both parents involved; opponents and state agencies warned the draft contains drafting conflicts and could increase litigation or create unintended involvement by the child‑support system.

Alisa Butler, state court administrator for the Wyoming Judicial Branch, told the committee the branch had no formal position but warned the bill as written could interfere with how judges analyze custody. “We actually anticipate that this will create more contention between the parties,” Butler said, adding that the draft raises questions about how judges should reconcile the bill’s presumption of shared custody with the existing “best interests of the child” framework and its 10 statutory factors.

Officials from the Wyoming Department of Family Services said the legislation is primarily a private custody…