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House passes narrowly drawn grandparents’ visitation bill after debate on parental rights
Summary
HB 319, narrowly defining grandparents’ visitation to avoid infringing on parental rights, passed the House unanimously. Sponsor said the bill addresses constitutional concerns and aligns with Utah Code §30-5-1 and §30-5-2.
Representative Beverly Anne Evans sponsored House Bill 3 19 and told the chamber the bill was "narrowly drafted to address the constitutional concern with existing statutes." She said the core issue is the fundamental right of parents to raise their children, citing the Utah Code in section 30-5-1 and -2 during her remarks.
Evans described the bill as a targeted fix to guarantee parental decisionmaking while clarifying limited visitation rights for grandparents where appropriate; she urged support and emphasized the bill’s narrow scope. An amendment to expand the bill to include other family members was discussed but opponents said such an amendment would "cloud the issue." The motion to circle the bill to wait for the amendment failed.
After summation the House opened voting on HB 319. The clerk reported 63 yea votes and 0 nays and the bill passed the House and will be forwarded to the Senate.
