House Bill No. by Representative Green aims to amend existing laws regarding child custody and support in Louisiana. The bill establishes a rebuttable presumption that shared legal and physical custody is in the best interest of the child, unless the court finds clear and convincing evidence to the contrary. It modifies the current law to ensure that in the absence of an agreement between parents, the court will award shared legal and physical custody rather than joint custody. Additionally, it clarifies that a parent not granted sole, shared, or joint custody is entitled to reasonable visitation rights unless it is determined to be against the child's best interest.

The bill also revises provisions related to child support calculations for voluntarily unemployed or underemployed parties by removing the exception for those caring for a child under five years old. Furthermore, it mandates that in cases of shared or joint custody, the court must issue a corresponding implementation order, ensuring equal allocation of legal authority and decision-making responsibilities between parents unless it is deemed unfeasible or not in the child's best interest. Overall, the bill seeks to promote shared parenting and clarify the responsibilities and rights of parents in custody and support matters.

Statutes affected:
HB473 Original: 9:11(A)(1), 9:335(A)(1)