Kentucky Equal Parenting Bill. H.B. 492 and House Bill 528 made up the totality of the Kentucky shared parenting bills. House Bill 492 passed in 2017, on March 29, 2017. The Governor signed the bill on April 10, 2017. This bill made equal parenting the presumption in temporary orders. Then the following year, H.B. 528 made the presumption of equal parenting in final orders. HB 528 completed legislative action on April 13, 2018 and the governor signed it into law on April 26, 2018.

Summary of H.B. 528

Amend KRS 403.270 to create a presumption that joint custody and equally shared parenting time is in the best interrest of the child, and to require the court to consider the motiviation of the aduts involved when determining the best interest of the child for custody orders; amend KRS 403.280 to specify that the presumption of joint custody and equal parenting time is in the best interest of the child; amend KRS 403.320 to allow a parent not granted custody or shared parenting time to petition for reasonable visitation rights; amend KRS 403.340 to specify that if a court modifies a custody decree there is a rebuttable presumption that it is in the best interest of the child for the parents to have joint custody and equally shared parenting time.

Read H.B. 528 here.

Summary of H.B. 492

Amend KRS 403.280 to allow a court to adopt a temporary custody agreement as the temprorary custody order of the court if the plan presented is mutually agreed upon and adequately provides for the welfare of the child; create a rebuttable presumption that there shall be temporary joint custody and equal parenting time.

Read H.B. 492 here.