House Bill 492 and Senate Bill 540 propose amendments to Tennessee's child custody laws, specifically focusing on factors considered by the court in custody decisions. The bill modifies Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 36-6-106(a) by deleting subdivisions (a)(15) and (16) and replacing them with new language that includes a parent's failure to pay court-ordered child support as a relevant factor, along with any other factors deemed relevant by the court. Additionally, Section 36-6-106(g) is updated to reflect this change by adjusting the referenced subdivisions accordingly.

Furthermore, the bill amends Section 36-6-406(d)(1) to address a parent's neglect or substantial nonperformance of parenting responsibilities, explicitly including the failure to pay court-ordered child support. An important addition is made in Section 36-6-306, which allows the court to award reasonable attorney's fees and other litigation expenses to either party in actions for grandparent visitation. The act is set to take effect upon becoming law, emphasizing the public welfare.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 36-6-106(a), 36-6-106, 36-6-106(g), 36-6-406(d)(1), 36-6-406
Amended with SA0017 -- 03/06/2025: 36-6-106(a), 36-6-106, 36-6-106(g), 36-6-406(d)(1), 36-6-406, 36-6-306