This bill proposes significant updates to Arizona's statutes regarding legal decision-making and parenting time, particularly in cases involving mental health crises. It introduces new provisions, such as the requirement for a lethality and psychosis risk assessment for parents undergoing involuntary or voluntary commitment, and mandates that courts consider these assessments before granting or expanding unsupervised parenting time. The bill also establishes procedures for notifying the other parent about a parent's commitment status and includes specific criteria that must be met before unsupervised parenting time can be ordered after such commitments. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of confidentiality regarding treatment records while ensuring that necessary information is disclosed for the safety of the child.

The bill amends existing statutes to incorporate these new requirements and procedures, while also updating language to reflect a focus on the child's interests rather than "interest." It removes outdated provisions and adds new sections that address behavioral health crises, including the need for safety planning and the handling of firearms access in relation to parenting time. Overall, the proposed changes aim to enhance child safety and ensure that mental health considerations are adequately addressed in family court proceedings.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 25-403, 25-403.01, 25-403.02, 25-403.11, 25-406, 25-403.03, 13-2907.02, 25-403.04, 25-403.05, 25-401, 25-403.10, 25-408