How do the courts determine when to award visitation rights to grandparents?

And should public infrastructure workers be held civilly liable for crashes and injuries?

These are questions addressed by two pieces of legislation heard today in Frankfort.

Our Emily Sisk was following them and explains what you need to know.

The House Judiciary Committee considered a bill related to grandparent visitation rights today.

Senate Bill 281 looks to update Kentucky law to determine how and when grandparents may be granted court ordered visitation.

The courts would need to see clear and convincing evidence that visits with grandparents would be in the child's best interest.

They'll sponsor.

Senator Rick Girdler explained his intent behind the legislation.

We're not trying to take the place of a parent.

The parent has full custody and and full, say, sole of the child.

Girdler said he wanted to see updates so that if a parent's custody rights were terminated or if a parent died, grandparents would still have access to the children.

Do you know.

How often that there are issues with, visitation of grandchildren with grandparents that does this occur very often that it could be a problem?

Or do you know it's people my age?

I hear it all the time.

Now, I'm just under the impression, you know, I haven't took numbers.

But I do know it's a great concern whether it's 1 or 100.

And my concern is, is basically, I want to see my grandkids.

I want to be a part of their life.

I want them to be a part of my life.

And some people don't get to do that.

An eastern Kentucky Republican said he appreciated the clear and convincing evidence standard, as not all grandparents are fit to be in their grandchildren's lives.

I have in my practice as a lawyer saying, the downside of having this presumption in the instance of a death of a parent, you're I'm sure you're a great grandma, you're a great grandparent.

Not all grandparents are great grandparents.

And I think this, clear and convincing evidence standard helps wait that out.

Senate Bill 281 advanced out of committee, with one Democrat passing on the vote.

The lawmakers also heard Senator Craig Richardson's Senate Bill 195, which clarifies when contractors can be held a civilly liable for work done on public roads and bridges.

Senate Bill 195 is about aligning liability with responsibility.

This helps ensure that each party is held accountable for the role they actually played.

No more.

No less.

The legislation says that once a contractor completes their work according to the plans given to them, they cannot be held liable for property damage or personal injury.

There is an exception in the bill explaining when workers could be held liable.

If they've had a role in the design process, if they've, made decisions outside of those plans or acted negligently in any way, they they are still held liable.

Senate Bill 195 passed unanimously out of the House Judiciary Committee.

And advances on to the full House for Kentucky edition.

I'm Emily Sisk.

Thank you.

Emily.

The House judiciary panel also passed Senate Bill 66, which expands the list of controlled substances that can lead to a DUI charge to include fentanyl.