Senate Bill No. introduced by D. Lenz seeks to enhance child custody laws in Montana by prioritizing child safety and mandating comprehensive training for judges, standing masters, and guardians ad litem on issues related to child abuse and domestic violence. The bill requires these professionals to undergo a minimum of 20 hours of initial orientation training and 15 hours of ongoing training every two years, focusing on trauma-informed and culturally appropriate practices. It also amends the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) to redefine child custody proceedings, clarify the roles of guardians ad litem, and ensure that the best interests of the child are central to custody decisions, including specific considerations related to domestic violence and child abuse.

Additionally, the bill introduces new definitions and requirements for custody proceedings, emphasizing the importance of maintaining relationships with non-relocating parents when one parent intends to change the child's residence. It prohibits the removal of a child from a competent and non-abusive parent solely to improve the relationship with the other parent and mandates that any reunification treatment must be supported by scientifically valid proof. The bill also repeals a section related to orientation courses and establishes that its provisions will supersede certain unfunded mandate laws, with specific effective dates for different sections.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 3-1-1501, 3-1-1502, 40-4-205, 40-4-212, 40-4-219, 40-4-227
SB0318_1(1): 3-1-1501, 3-1-1502, 40-4-205, 40-4-212, 40-4-219, 40-4-227
SB0318_1(2): 3-1-1501, 3-1-1502, 40-4-205, 40-4-212, 40-4-219, 40-4-227
SB0318_1(3): 3-1-1501, 3-1-1502, 40-4-205, 40-4-212, 40-4-219, 40-4-227
SB0318_1(4): 3-1-1501, 3-1-1502, 40-4-205, 40-4-212, 40-4-219, 40-4-227
SB0318_1(5): 3-1-1501, 3-1-1502, 40-4-205, 40-4-212, 40-4-219, 40-4-227
SB0318_1(6): 3-1-1501, 3-1-1502, 40-4-205, 40-4-212, 40-4-219, 40-4-227
SB0318_1(7): 3-1-1501, 3-1-1502, 40-4-205, 40-4-212, 40-4-219, 40-4-227
SB0318_1: 3-1-1501, 3-1-1502, 40-4-205, 40-4-212, 40-4-219, 40-4-227
SB0318_2(1): 3-1-1501, 3-1-1502, 40-4-205, 40-4-212, 40-4-219, 40-4-227
SB0318_2(10): 3-1-1501, 3-1-1502, 40-4-205, 40-4-212, 40-4-219, 40-4-227
SB0318_2(11): 3-1-1501, 3-1-1502, 40-4-205, 40-4-212, 40-4-219, 40-4-227
SB0318_2(12): 3-1-1501, 3-1-1502, 40-4-205, 40-4-212, 40-4-219, 40-4-227
SB0318_2(13): 3-1-1501, 3-1-1502, 40-4-205, 40-4-212, 40-4-219, 40-4-227
SB0318_2(14): 3-1-1501, 3-1-1502, 40-4-205, 40-4-212, 40-4-219, 40-4-227
SB0318_2(15): 3-1-1501, 3-1-1502, 40-4-205, 40-4-212, 40-4-219, 40-4-227
SB0318_2(16): 3-1-1501, 3-1-1502, 40-4-205, 40-4-212, 40-4-219, 40-4-227
SB0318_2(17): 3-1-1501, 3-1-1502, 40-4-205, 40-4-212, 40-4-219, 40-4-227
SB0318_2(18): 3-1-1501, 3-1-1502, 40-4-205, 40-4-212, 40-4-219, 40-4-227
SB0318_2(19): 3-1-1501, 3-1-1502, 40-4-205, 40-4-212, 40-4-219, 40-4-227
SB0318_2(2): 3-1-1501, 3-1-1502, 40-4-205, 40-4-212, 40-4-219, 40-4-227
SB0318_2(20): 3-1-1501, 3-1-1502, 40-4-205, 40-4-212, 40-4-219, 40-4-227
SB0318_2(21): 3-1-1501, 3-1-1502, 40-4-205, 40-4-212, 40-4-219, 40-4-227
SB0318_2(3): 3-1-1501, 3-1-1502, 40-4-205, 40-4-212, 40-4-219, 40-4-227
SB0318_2(4): 3-1-1501, 3-1-1502, 40-4-205, 40-4-212, 40-4-219, 40-4-227
SB0318_2(5): 3-1-1501, 3-1-1502, 40-4-205, 40-4-212, 40-4-219, 40-4-227
SB0318_2(6): 3-1-1501, 3-1-1502, 40-4-205, 40-4-212, 40-4-219, 40-4-227
SB0318_2(7): 3-1-1501, 3-1-1502, 40-4-205, 40-4-212, 40-4-219, 40-4-227
SB0318_2(8): 3-1-1501, 3-1-1502, 40-4-205, 40-4-212, 40-4-219, 40-4-227
SB0318_2(9): 3-1-1501, 3-1-1502, 40-4-205, 40-4-212, 40-4-219, 40-4-227
SB0318_2: 3-1-1501, 3-1-1502, 40-4-205, 40-4-212, 40-4-219, 40-4-227