--- title: HB 253. Ethan's Law; enact collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb253 cite_as: HB 253, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb253 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb253.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb253/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69866 date: 2025-04-04 status: engrossed corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb252.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb254.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 1266 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb253.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 253 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-02-26 last_action: House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub As Amended sponsors: - David Clark - Houston Gaines - Todd Jones - Stacey Evans - Trey Kelley - Stan Gunter - Chuck Payne text_version: Comm Sub has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB253/2025 upstream_id: 1955612 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - child custody - family law - parental rights - court orders - children and families --- # HB 253. Ethan's Law; enact ## Text 25 LC 57 0272S The Senate Committee on Children and Families offered the following substitute to HB 253: A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Article 1 of Chapter 9 of Title 19 of the Official Code Georgia Annotated, relating1 to general provisions relative to child custody proceedings, so as to prohibit the court from2 ordering family reunification treatments or services in cases in which the custody of a child3 is at issue; to provide for a definition; to provide for related matters; to provide for a short4 title; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:6 SECTION 1.7 This Act shall be known and may be cited as "Ethan's Law."8 SECTION 2.9 Article 1 of Chapter 9 of Title 19 of the Official Code of Geor gia Annotated, relating to10 general provisions relative to child custody proceedings, is amended by revising paragraph11 (7) of subsection (a) of Code Section 19-9-3, relating to the establishment and review of child12 custody and visitation, as follows:13 "(7) The judge is authorized to order a psychological custody e valuation of the family14 or an independent medical evaluation.; provided, however, that the judge shall not order15 - 1 - 25 LC 57 0272S family reunification treatments or services. In addition to the privilege afforded a16 witness, neither a court appointed custody evaluator nor a cour t appointed guardian ad17 litem shall be subject to civil liability resulting from any ac t or failure to act in the18 performance of his or her duties unless such act or failure to act was in bad faith."19 SECTION 3.20 Said article is further amended in Code Section 19-9-6, relating to definitions relative to child21 custody proceedings, by adding a new paragraph, to read as follows:22 "(3.1) 'Family reunification treatments or services' means any therapeutic intervention23 which requires:24 (A) Court ordered restrictions on contact between a child and a parent or legal25 guardian;26 (B) Overnight stays for a child in an out-of-state facility, hotel, motel, or camp;27 (C) The use of private youth transporters or private transportation agents engaged in28 the use of force, threat of force, physical obstruction, or coercion against a child; and29 (D) The attendance of, or participation in, educational or experimental workshops."30 SECTION 4.31 This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2025.32 SECTION 5.33 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.34 - 2 - ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary. Georgia House Bill 253, called Ethan's Law, would bar judges in child custody cases from ordering so-called family reunification treatments or services, defining what those programs are. ### Plain-language summary Under current Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 19-9-3), judges deciding child custody or visitation disputes can order psychological or medical evaluations of a family. This bill keeps that power but adds a new limit: judges could no longer order what the bill calls family reunification treatments or services as part of a custody case. The bill adds a definition of that term to Georgia's custody law (O.C.G.A. § 19-9-6). It covers therapeutic programs that involve court ordered limits on a child's contact with a parent or guardian, overnight stays at out-of-state facilities, hotels, motels, or camps, use of private transporters who use force or coercion against a child, or required attendance at certain educational or experiential workshops. The law would take effect July 1, 2025, and applies to future custody proceedings. ### What it does - Bars judges handling child custody or visitation cases from ordering family reunification treatments or services, while still allowing psychological or medical evaluations. - Adds a legal definition of 'family reunification treatments or services' to Georgia's custody statute, covering four specific program features. - Clarifies that court appointed custody evaluators and guardians ad litem are shielded from civil liability unless they acted in bad faith. - Sets the short title of the Act as 'Ethan's Law' and makes it effective July 1, 2025. ### Who it affects Parents and children involved in Georgia child custody or visitation disputes, judges presiding over those cases, court appointed custody evaluators and guardians ad litem, and providers of reunification-style therapeutic programs, including out-of-state facilities and private youth transport services. ### Why it matters Families going through contested custody cases would no longer be able to have a judge order programs that restrict a child's contact with a parent, involve overnight stays away from home, or use forceful transport, changing what remedies courts can order in disputes over parental access. ### Key provisions - Section 1 names the Act 'Ethan's Law.' - Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. § 19-9-3(a)(7) so judges may still order psychological or medical evaluations but may not order family reunification treatments or services. - Section 2 also keeps existing civil liability protection for court appointed evaluators and guardians ad litem, unless they acted in bad faith. - Section 3 adds a definition of 'family reunification treatments or services' to O.C.G.A. § 19-9-6, listing four qualifying features such as restricted contact, out-of-state overnight stays, forceful private transport, and mandatory workshops. - Section 4 sets the effective date as July 1, 2025. - Section 5 repeals conflicting laws. ## Status - Status: Engrossed (2025-02-26) - Last action: House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub As Amended (2025-04-04) - Sponsors: David Clark, Houston Gaines, Todd Jones, Stacey Evans, Trey Kelley, Stan Gunter, Chuck Payne - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69866 > The history, votes, and amendments (1,266 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb253.md?full=1