(1) A court of this state may request the appropriate court of another state to:
- (a) hold an evidentiary hearing;
- (b) order a person to produce or give evidence under procedures of that state;
- (c) order that an evaluation be made with respect to the custody of a minor child involved in a pending proceeding;
- (d) forward to the court of this state a certified copy of the transcript of the record of the hearing, the evidence otherwise presented, and any evaluation prepared in compliance with the request; and
- (e) order a party to a child custody proceeding or any person having physical custody of the minor child to appear in the proceeding with or without the minor child.
(2) Upon request of a court of another state, a court of this state may:
- (a) hold a hearing or enter an order described in Subsection (1); or
- (b) order a person in this state to appear alone or with the minor child in a custody proceeding in another state.
(3)
- (a) A court of this state may condition compliance with a request under Subsection (2)(b) upon assurance by the other state that travel and other necessary expenses will be advanced or reimbursed.
- (b) If an individual who has physical custody of the minor child cannot be served or fails to obey the order, or it appears the order will be ineffective, the court may issue a warrant of arrest against the individual to secure the individual's appearance with the minor child in the other state.
- (4) Travel and other necessary and reasonable expenses incurred under Subsections (1) and (2) may be assessed against the parties according to the law of this state.
(5)
- (a) A court of this state shall preserve the pleadings, orders, decrees, records of hearings, evaluations, and other pertinent records with respect to a child custody proceeding until the minor child is 18 years old.
- (b) Upon appropriate request by a court or law enforcement official of another state, the court shall forward a certified copy of these records.
Renumbered and Amended by Chapter 426, 2025 General Session