Dear Members of the Committee,
I am Frank Glandorf, a resident of Hamilton County, and I strongly oppose Senate Bill 174 (SB
174).
Since 2018 I have assisted as an analyst for the National Parents Organization’s (NPO) Ohio
Parenting Time Report. By statute, each county court is required to have a written, local rule
detailing default child custody arrangements. The parenting time report uses these local rules
and focuses on ordinary parenting time (non-holiday/vacation), school age children and parents
living in proximity to each other.
In 2018, 64 of Ohio’s 88 counties received the lowest grade because they allowed only one
overnight parenting time per two week period. Four counties received the highest grade
because of substantially equal parenting time. In addition, 7 counties used multiple schedules.
By 2023 the situation had liberalized. Only 45 counties received the lowest grade, a reduction of
20. While 8 counties received the highest grade, an increase of 4. In addition, 17 counties use
multiple schedules, an increase of 10.
It is important to note that not a single county has reduced parenting time in their local rules.
This is in contrast to SB 174 which replaces parental rights with court issued parental
responsibilities.
In 2018, Judge Paula Giulitto of Portage County, president of the Ohio Association of Domestic
Relations Judges, wrote an editorial in The Columbus Dispatch that was highly critical of the
NPO child custody report. At the time Portage county rated a D. Four years later in 2022, Judge
Giullitto released new child custody guidelines. There are now four schedules; from the
restrictive, every other weekend to equally shared parenting time.
Therefore, I urge you to consider the progress already made and to maintain the rights of
parents who ultimately have the best interests of their children, rather than replace them with
restrictive, court-issued responsibilities. Please vote NO on SB 174.
Frank Glandorf Hamilton County Resident