Robert Garza

Chairman, Members of the Committee, My name is Robert Garza. I am the author of the Time Taken Time Back law and the Three Strikes custody interference law. I have spent more than fifteen years inside family courts across this country. I have had joint custody the entire time. I have always been a fit, willing, and able parent. And yet, it has still been a fifteen year battle and over seven hundred thousand dollars just to remain fully present in my children’s lives. It should not be this hard to be a parent. I am here in strong support of HB1770. This bill does something very simple. It begins with the presumption that fit parents should have equal parenting time unless there is clear and convincing evidence of actual harm to a child. And let me be very clear. This bill does not take away judicial discretion. It does not remove a judge’s authority. It simply provides a fair and neutral starting point. Judges still review evidence. Judges still protect children. Judges still tailor decisions to the facts of each case. The only change is where we begin. Right now, many custody cases start from a position that limits parenting time by default. That imbalance fuels conflict, encourages litigation, and too often allows one parent to slowly erase the other. Parenting is a fundamental right. If the government is going to reduce a fit parent’s time with their child, there should be proof of real harm, not assumptions, not speculation, not conflict between adults. HB1770 protects children’s relationships with both fit parents whenever it is safe. It promotes stability. It reduces unnecessary litigation. It restores fairness to the starting line without tying the hands of the court. Children deserve both parents when both parents are fit. I respectfully ask you to support HB1770. Thank you. Robert Garza