PRINTER'S NO. 1091
No. 989 Session of 1981
INTRODUCED BY D. R. WRIGHT, WILT, STEWART AND LEHR,
MARCH 25, 1981
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, MARCH 25, 1981
AN ACT
1 Providing for the right of grandparents to visit grandchildren
2 in certain cases.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 Section 1. Short title.
6 This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Grandparent
7 Visitation Law."
8 Section 2. When parent is deceased.
9 If a parent of an unmarried minor child is deceased, the
10 parents or grandparents of the deceased parent may be granted
11 reasonable visitation rights to the unmarried minor child during
12 his minority by the court upon a finding that visitation rights
13 would be in the best interests of the child and would not
14 interfere with the parent-child relationship. The court shall
15 consider the amount of personal contact between the parents or
16 grandparents of the deceased parent and the child prior to the
17 application.
1 Section 3. When parents' marriage is dissolved.
2 In all proceedings for dissolution, subsequent to the
3 commencement of the proceeding and continuing thereafter during
4 the minority of the child, the court may, upon the request of
5 the parent or grandparent of a party, grant reasonable
6 visitation rights to the unmarried minor child, after
7 dissolution of marriage, during his minority if it finds that
8 visitation rights would be in the best interest of the child and
9 would not interfere with the parent-child relationship. The
10 court shall consider the amount of personal contact between the
11 parents or grandparents of the party and the minor child prior
12 to the application.
13 Section 4. When the child has resided with grandparents.
14 If an unmarried minor child has resided with his grandparents
15 or great-grandparents for a period of 12 months or more, and is
16 subsequently removed from the home by his parents, the
17 grandparents or great-grandparents may petition the court for an
18 order granting them reasonable visitation rights to the child
19 during his minority. The court shall grant the petition if it
20 finds that visitation rights would be in the best interest of
21 the child and would not interfere with the parent-child
22 relationship.
23 Section 5. Exception for adopted children.
24 This act shall not apply if the child has been adopted by a
25 person other than a stepparent or grandparent. Any visitation
26 rights granted pursuant to this section prior to the adoption of
27 the child shall be automatically terminated upon such adoption.
28 Section 6. Effective date.
29 This act shall take effect immediately.
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