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, or who is periodically incapable of caring for the needs of a child due to the parent's incapacity or debilitation resulting from illness, 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 ill parents 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.
CREDIT(S)
(June 25, 2002, D.C. Law 14-152, § 2, 49 DCR 4248.)
HISTORICAL AND STATUTORY NOTES
Legislative History of Laws
Law 14-152, the “Standby Guardianship Act of 2002”, was introduced in Council and assigned Bill No. 14-309, which was referred to the Committee on Human Services. The Bill was adopted on first and second readings on March 5, 2002, and April 9, 2002, respectively. Signed by the Mayor on April 26, 2002, it was assigned Act No. 14-330 and transmitted to both Houses of Congress for its review. D.C. Law 14-152 became effective on June 25, 2002.