IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 241 

Expressing the support for the enacting of joint custody laws for fit parents, 

so that more children are raised with the benefits of having a father 

and a mother in their lives. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 25, 2007 

Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland (for himself and Mr. ABERCROMBIE) submitted 

the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee 

on the Judiciary 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Expressing the support for the enacting of joint custody 

laws for fit parents, so that more children are raised 

with the benefits of having a father and a mother in 

their lives. 

Whereas, in approximately 84 percent of the cases where a 

parent is absent, that parent is the father; 

Whereas if current trends continue, half of all children born 

today will live apart from one of their parents, usually 

their father, at some point before they turn 18 years old; 

Whereas when families (whether intact or with a parent absent) are living in poverty, a significant factor is the father’s lack of job skills; 


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•HCON 241 IH 

Whereas committed and responsible fathering during infancy 

and early childhood contributes to the development of 

emotional security, curiosity, and math and verbal skills; 

Whereas an estimated 19,400,000 children (27 percent) live 

apart from their biological fathers; 

Whereas 40 percent of the children under age 18 not living 

with their biological fathers had not seen their fathers 

even once in the past 12 months, according to national 

survey data; 

Whereas single parents are to be commended for the tremendous job that they do with their children; 

Whereas the United States needs to encourage responsible 

parenting, by both fathers and mothers whenever possible; 

Whereas the United States needs to encourage both parents 

(and extended families) to be actively involved in children’s lives; 

Whereas a way to do that is to encourage joint custody so 

that parents share children; 

Whereas the American Bar Association found in 1997 that 

19 States plus the District of Columbia had some form 

of presumption for joint custody, either legal, physical, or 

both, and since then, 13 additional States have added 

some form of presumption, bringing the current total to 

32 States plus the District of Columbia; 

Whereas Census Bureau data shows a correlation between 

joint custody and a higher payment of financial child 

support; 

Whereas social science literature shows that children are generally well adjusted in an intact family with 2 parents in 


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•HCON 241 IH 

the home, and research also shows that for children of divorced, separated, and never-married parents, joint custody is strongly associated with positive outcomes for 

children on important measures of adjustment and wellbeing; 

Whereas research by the Department of Health and Human 

Services shows that the States with the highest amount 

of joint custody subsequently had the lowest divorce rate; 

and 

Whereas parents with joint custody pay 50 percent more in 

child support than parents with visitation only or no contact with the child: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That Congress expresses support of the 

3 States passing joint custody laws for fit parents, so that 

4 more children are raised with the benefit of having a fa5 ther and a mother in their lives, careful to protect victims 

6 of domestic violence, abuse, neglect, children from poten7 tial kidnapping by a parent. 

Æ 


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