Legislative task force gathers experts and parents to weigh enforcement and false-report remedies in custody disputes

Chairman Dave Clemens called the Child Custody Review Task Force to order, saying the group was created to find practical ways to enforce custody orders and address false allegations in custody proceedings. "Without truth, there's no justice," Clemens said as he opened the meeting.

The task force spent the morning on staff briefings from legislative counsel Beth Dittis, who walked members through the background memorandum and the legislative history of Senate Bills 2186 and 2184 — the measures that led the Legislative Management to create the task force. Dittis said the task force must recommend approaches to (1) address withholding of a child in violation of a custody decree, (2) consider remedies for false reporting in custody contexts, and (3) review possible expedited forms, self-help tools and automated assistance. She noted the committee’s final report is due to the legislative management in June 2026.

Members then heard a series of presentations outlining the practical constraints that shape enforcement. Supreme Court…