The Council of the District of Columbia finds that:
(1) Existing custody law does not provide adequately for the needs of a parent who is terminally ill, who is periodically incapable of caring for the needs of a child due to the parent's incapacity or debilitation resulting from illness, or who may be subject to an adverse immigration action, and who desires to make long-term plans for the future of a child without terminating or limiting in any way the parent’s legal rights.
(2) Children are becoming unnecessarily involved in adversarial court proceedings or are without legally sanctioned caretakers because their parents who may be ill or subject to an adverse immigration action cannot or will not permanently or temporarily transfer care, custody, or control of their children to another person if such a transfer requires any limitation of the custodial parent’s rights.
(June 25, 2002, D.C. Law 14-152, § 2, 49 DCR 4248; Dec. 8, 2020, D.C. Law 23-153, § 2(a), 67 DCR 12259.)
Emergency LegislationFor temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(a) of Standby Guardian Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2020 (D.C. Act 23-432, Oct. 6, 2020, 67 DCR 12981).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(a) of Standby Guardian Emergency Amendment Act of 2020 (D.C. Act 23-345, July 27, 2020, 67 DCR 9383).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(a) of Standby Guardian Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2019 (D.C. Act 23-141, Oct. 23, 2019, 66 DCR 14324).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(a) of Standby Guardian Emergency Amendment Act of 2019 (D.C. Act 23-111, July 31, 2019, 66 DCR 188).
Temporary LegislationFor temporary (225 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(a) of Standby Guardian Temporary Amendment Act of 2020 (D.C. Law 23-145, Oct. 20, 2020, 67 DCR 9916).
For temporary (225 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(a) of Standby Guardian Temporary Amendment Act of 2019 (D.C. Law 23-30, Nov. 26, 2019, 66 DCR 13135).