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6-1-2012

House Passes Child Custody Protections

In an overwhelming vote (390-2), the House this week approved legislation that amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) to include protections for child custody arrangements of parents who are deployed in support of a contingency operation. If a motion to change a child’s custody arrangement is filed while a parent is deployed, no court may modify the existing custody judgment, except if there is clear and convincing evidence that it is in the best interest of the child. The FRA-supported “Servicemember Family Protection Act” (H.R. 4201), sponsored by Reps. Michael Turner (Ohio) and Rob Andrews (N.J.), also prohibits any court from considering a member's past or future absences due to deployments in determining child custody disputes. The bill now moves to the Senate for further deliberations. Members are urged to use the FRA Action Center at to contact their senators on this important issue.

FRA addressed this issue in its testimony before the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees and the Camp Lejeune water problem is also the focus of this month’s feature story in FRA Today.