SB1344: In camera interviews of child; court's discretion to conduct recording or transcript.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 20-124.2:1 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 20-124.2:1. In camera interviews of child; recording or transcript.
In any proceeding in a court of record to determine
custody or visitation, when the a court conducts may
conduct an in camera interview of a minor child whose custody or visitation
is at issue with or without the presence of the parties or their counsel,
a in the discretion of the court. A record or transcript of
the interview shall be prepared, unless the parties otherwise agree. The record
or transcript of the interview shall be made available to the parties
and counsel, and shall be made a part of the record in the case if such
interview is conducted in a proceeding in a court of record, unless a
decision is made by the court that doing so providing such record or
transcript or making such record or transcript a part of the record would
endanger the safety of the child; in such an event, the record or transcript
shall be sealed and made part of the record. The cost of creating the
record or transcript shall be taxed as costs to the parties to the
proceeding. For the purposes of this section, "record or
transcript" means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or
that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in
perceivable form.
SENATE BILL NO. 1344
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 20-124.2:1 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 20-124.2:1. In camera interviews of child; recording or transcript.
In any proceeding in a court of record
to determine custody or visitation, when the a court
conducts may conduct
an in camera interview of a minor child whose custody or visitation is at issue with or without the presence
of the parties or their counsel, a record in the discretion of the court. A recording or
transcript of the interview shall be prepared, unless the
parties otherwise agree. The record recording or transcript of the
interview shall be made available to the
parties and counsel and shall be made a part of the record
in the case if such interview is
conducted in a proceeding in a court of record,
unless a decision is made by the court that doing
so providing such recording or
transcript or making such record or transcript a part of the record would
endanger the safety of the child. The cost of creating the record recording
or transcript shall be taxed as costs to the parties to the
proceeding.