This bill amends sections 14-09-00.1 and 14-09-29 of the North Dakota Century Code, focusing on parental rights and responsibilities. It introduces new definitions, including "shared decisionmaking responsibility," which allows each parent to make routine decisions during their parenting time while requiring joint decision-making for major issues such as education and health care. Additionally, "shared residential responsibility" is defined as each parent having equal or approximately equal time with the child, as determined by the court. The bill also removes certain language regarding the court's opinion on promoting the child's best interests and establishes a rebuttable presumption that shared decisionmaking and residential responsibilities are in the child's best interests, unless evidence suggests otherwise.

Furthermore, the bill outlines specific conditions under which the presumption of shared responsibilities may not apply, such as instances of domestic violence or sexual abuse. It mandates that if a parent has committed domestic violence, they may only have supervised parenting time unless proven otherwise. The bill also stipulates that the perpetrator of domestic violence is responsible for all related court costs unless it would cause undue financial hardship. Lastly, it clarifies that certain limitations on post-judgment modifications do not apply to the first motion filed after the bill's effective date regarding parental rights and responsibilities.

Statutes affected:
INTRODUCED: 14-09-00.1, 14-09-29