The bill amends various sections of the Washington Revised Code (RCW) to enhance protections for children in custody arrangements, particularly in cases involving parents with a history of harmful behavior, including sexual offenses. It establishes that courts can impose limitations on a parent's residential time if their conduct poses an unreasonable risk to the child, introducing new definitions such as "abusive use of conflict" and "protective actions." The bill outlines specific circumstances for limiting residential time, including willful abandonment, abuse, and domestic violence, and creates a rebuttable presumption against granting residential time to parents convicted of sex offenses, especially if the child was conceived as a result of that offense.

Additionally, the bill addresses the supervision of parental contact, allowing for supervised visitation under certain conditions, and specifies that unsupervised contact can only be granted after a minimum of two years of supervised time without further offenses. It also amends laws related to guardianship and decision-making authority, ensuring that mutual decision-making is not required in cases involving sex offenses. Furthermore, the bill clarifies the rights of military parents regarding custody and relocation, allowing them to delegate visitation rights during their absence and ensuring that military service disruptions do not adversely affect custody arrangements. Overall, the legislation aims to prioritize child safety and well-being in custody and visitation matters.

Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 26.09.191, 11.130.215, 26.09.187, 26.09.194, 26.09.260, 26.09.520, 26.12.177
Substitute Bill: 26.09.191, 11.130.215, 26.09.187, 26.09.194, 26.09.260, 26.09.520, 26.12.177
Engrossed Substitute: 26.09.191, 11.130.215, 26.09.187, 26.09.194, 26.09.260, 26.09.520, 26.12.177
Bill as Passed Legislature: 26.09.191, 11.130.215, 26.09.187, 26.09.194, 26.09.260, 26.09.520, 26.12.177
Session Law: 26.09.191, 11.130.215, 26.09.187, 26.09.194, 26.09.260, 26.09.520, 26.12.177