LRB-0556/1
PJK:jd:rs
2005 - 2006 LEGISLATURE
March 15, 2005 - Introduced by Joint Legislative Council. Referred to
Committee on Judiciary, Corrections and Privacy.
SB112,1,4 1An Act to repeal 20.625 (3); to amend 48.977 (4) (b) 5., 48.978 (2) (b) 10., 303.068
2(1m), 767.05 (2), 801.05 (11) and 948.31 (3) (b); and to repeal and recreate
3chapter 822 of the statutes; relating to: the Uniform Child Custody
4Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill replaces the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act (UCCJA),
enacted into current law in 1975, with the updated Uniform Child Custody
Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA), which was in 1997 approved and
recommended for passage in all states by the National Conference of Commissioners
on Uniform State Laws. The purpose of the UCCJEA is to standardize among the
states the general procedural and jurisdictional requirements for interstate child
custody matters, which under the UCCJEA include legal custody, physical
placement, and visitation.
With respect to child custody proceedings and orders, the UCCJEA does all of
the following:
1. Specifies what notice is sufficient for a court to have jurisdiction over a
person who is outside the state and specifies to whom notice must be given before a
court may make a child custody determination.
2. Authorizes a court of one state to communicate with a court of another state
concerning a child custody proceeding in one of those states and to request the court
of the other state to perform various functions, such as ordering an evaluation,
holding an evidentiary hearing, and forwarding a transcript of a hearing.

3. Specifies the circumstances under which a court of a state has jurisdiction
to make an initial child custody determination, such as when the state is the home
state of the child.
4. Authorizes temporary emergency jurisdiction to make a child custody
determination if the child is present in the state and has been abandoned or is being
subjected to or threatened with mistreatment or abuse.
5. Specifies how long a court that made a child custody determination has
exclusive, continuing jurisdiction over the determination, such as until a court of
that or another state determines that the child and the child's parents no longer
reside in the state.
6. Specifies the circumstances under which a court that made a child custody
determination has jurisdiction to modify that determination and the circumstances
under which a court has jurisdiction to modify a child custody determination made
by a court of another state.
7. Specifies that a court may decline to exercise its jurisdiction to make a child
custody determination if it is an inconvenient forum and provides factors for a court
to consider in making that determination.
8. Provides procedures for a court to follow with respect to a child custody
proceeding if a child custody proceeding already has been commenced in another
state.
9. Specifies basic information that must be included in the first pleading in a
child custody proceeding and the persons whom the court may require to appear in
a child custody proceeding.
10. Imposes a duty on a court to recognize and enforce a child custody
determination made by another court if that other court exercised jurisdiction in
conformity with the standards under the UCCJEA.
11. Provides defenses for a respondent when a court orders that a petitioner
may take immediate physical custody of a child.
12. Authorizes a court to issue a warrant that directs law enforcement to take
immediate physical custody of a child if the court finds that the child is imminently
likely to suffer serious physical harm or be removed from the state.
In general, the UCCJEA under the bill provides clearer standards for original
jurisdiction in child custody proceedings and more complete standards for
jurisdiction to modify child custody determinations than does the UCCJA under
current law. In addition, the UCCJEA adds standards for continuing jurisdiction
over child custody determinations, for temporary emergency jurisdiction over child
custody matters, and for enforcement of child custody determinations.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB112, s. 1 1Section 1. 20.625 (3) of the statutes is repealed.
SB112, s. 2 2Section 2. 48.977 (4) (b) 5. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB112,3,3
148.977 (4) (b) 5. A statement of whether the proceedings are subject to the
2uniform child custody jurisdiction act Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and
3Enforcement Act
under ch. 822.
SB112, s. 3 4Section 3. 48.978 (2) (b) 10. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB112,3,75 48.978 (2) (b) 10. A statement of whether the proceedings are subject to the
6uniform child custody jurisdiction act Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and
7Enforcement Act
under ch. 822.
SB112, s. 4 8Section 4. 303.068 (1m) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB112,3,109 303.068 (1m) In sub. (1), "parent" includes a person who was previously a
10person acting as a parent, as defined in s. 822.02 (8) (13), for the inmate.
SB112, s. 5 11Section 5. 767.05 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB112,3,2012 767.05 (2) Actions for custody of children. Subject to ch. 822, the question
13of a child's custody may be determined as an incident of any action affecting the
14family or in an independent action for custody. The effect of any determination of a
15child's custody shall not be binding personally against any parent or guardian unless
16the parent or guardian has been made personally subject to the jurisdiction of the
17court in the action as provided under ch. 801 or has been notified under s. 822.05
18822.08 as provided in s. 822.12 822.06. Nothing in this section may be construed to
19foreclose a person other than a parent who has physical custody of a child from
20proceeding under ch. 822.
SB112, s. 6 21Section 6. 801.05 (11) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB112,4,722 801.05 (11) Certain marital actions. In addition to personal jurisdiction under
23sub. (1) and s. 801.06, in any action affecting the family, except for actions under ch.
24769, in which a personal claim is asserted against the respondent commenced in the
25county in which the petitioner resides at the commencement of the action when the

1respondent resided in this state in marital relationship with the petitioner for not
2less than 6 consecutive months within the 6 years next preceding the commencement
3of the action and the respondent is served personally under s. 801.11. The effect of
4any determination of a child's custody shall not be binding personally against any
5parent or guardian unless the parent or guardian has been made personally subject
6to the jurisdiction of the court in the action as provided under this chapter or has been
7notified under s. 822.05 822.08 as provided in s. 822.12 822.06.
SB112, s. 7 8Section 7. Chapter 822 of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:
SB112,4,129 Chapter 822
10 uniform child custody
11 Jurisdiction and enforcement
12 act
SB112,4,1413 Subchapter I
14GENERAL PROVISIONS
SB112,4,17 15822.01 Short title; purposes; construction of provisions. (1) This
16chapter may be cited as the "Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement
17Act."
SB112,4,18 18(2) The general purposes of this chapter are to do all of the following:
SB112,4,2119 (a) Avoid jurisdictional competition and conflict with courts of other states in
20matters of child custody that have in the past resulted in the shifting of children from
21state to state with harmful effects on their well-being.
SB112,4,2322 (b) Promote cooperation with the courts of other states to the end that a custody
23decree is rendered in the state that can best decide the case in the interest of the child.
SB112,4,2524 (c) Discourage the use of the interstate system for continuing controversies
25over child custody.
SB112,5,1
1(d) Deter abductions of children.
SB112,5,22 (e) Avoid relitigation in this state of custody decisions of other states.
SB112,5,33 (f) Facilitate the enforcement of custody decrees of other states.
SB112,5,4 4822.02 Definitions. In this chapter:
SB112,5,6 5(1) "Abandoned" means left without provision for reasonable and necessary
6care or supervision.
SB112,5,7 7(2) "Child" means an individual who has not attained 18 years of age.
SB112,5,12 8(3) "Child custody determination" means a judgment, decree, or other order of
9a court providing for legal custody, physical custody, physical placement, or visitation
10with respect to a child. The term includes a permanent, temporary, initial, and
11modification order. The term does not include an order relating to child support or
12other monetary obligation of an individual.
SB112,5,19 13(4) "Child custody proceeding" means a proceeding in which legal custody,
14physical custody, physical placement, or visitation with respect to a child is an issue.
15The term includes a proceeding for divorce, legal separation, neglect, abuse,
16dependency, guardianship, paternity, termination of parental rights, and protection
17from domestic violence, in which the issue may appear. "Child custody proceeding"
18does not include a proceeding involving juvenile delinquency, contractual
19emancipation, or enforcement under subch. III.
SB112,5,20 20(5) "Commencement" means the filing of the first pleading in a proceeding.
SB112,5,22 21(6) "Court" means an entity authorized under the law of a state to establish,
22enforce, or modify a child custody determination.
SB112,6,3 23(7) "Home state" means the state in which a child lived with a parent or a
24person acting as a parent for at least 6 consecutive months immediately before the
25commencement of a child custody proceeding. In the case of a child less than 6

1months of age, the term means the state in which the child lived from birth with any
2of the persons mentioned in this subsection. A period of temporary absence of any
3of the persons mentioned in this subsection is part of the period.
SB112,6,5 4(8) "Initial determination" means the first child custody determination
5concerning a particular child.
SB112,6,7 6(9) "Issuing court" means the court that makes a child custody determination
7for which enforcement is sought under this chapter.
SB112,6,9 8(10) "Issuing state" means the state in which a child custody determination is
9made.
SB112,6,13 10(11) "Modification" means a child custody determination that changes,
11replaces, supersedes, or is otherwise made after a previous determination
12concerning the same child, whether or not it is made by the court that made the
13previous determination.
SB112,6,17 14(12) "Person" means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust,
15partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, or government;
16governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality; public corporation; or any
17other legal or commercial entity.
SB112,6,19 18(13) "Person acting as a parent" means a person, other than a parent, to whom
19all of the following apply:
SB112,6,2220 (a) He or she has physical custody of the child or has had physical custody for
21a period of 6 consecutive months, including any temporary absence, within one year
22immediately before the commencement of a child custody proceeding.
SB112,6,2423 (b) He or she has been awarded legal custody by a court or claims a right to legal
24custody under the law of this state.
SB112,6,25 25(14) "Physical custody" means the physical care and supervision of a child.
SB112,7,3
1(15) "State" means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia,
2Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject
3to the jurisdiction of the United States.
SB112,7,5 4(16) "Tribe" means an American Indian tribe or band, or Alaskan Native
5village, that is recognized by federal law or formally acknowledged by a state.
SB112,7,7 6(17) "Warrant" means an order issued by a court authorizing law enforcement
7officers to take physical custody of a child.
SB112,7,10 8822.03 Proceedings governed by other law. This chapter does not govern
9an adoption proceeding or a proceeding pertaining to the authorization of emergency
10medical care for a child.
SB112,7,14 11822.04 Application to Indian tribes. (1) A child custody proceeding that
12pertains to an Indian child as defined in the Indian Child Welfare Act, 25 USC 1901
13et seq., is not subject to this chapter to the extent that it is governed by the Indian
14Child Welfare Act.
SB112,7,16 15(2) A court of this state shall treat a tribe as if it were a state for the purpose
16of applying subchs. I and II.
SB112,7,19 17(3) A child custody determination made by a tribe under factual circumstances
18in substantial conformity with the jurisdictional standards of this chapter shall be
19recognized and enforced under subch. III.
SB112,7,22 20822.05 International application. (1) A court of this state shall treat a
21foreign country as if it were a state for the purpose of applying this subchapter and
22subch. II.
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