Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Enforcement Act; certain temporary emergency child custody determinations authorized to become final

SB 239 amends Alabama's child custody law to change how temporary emergency custody orders become final. Currently, courts must explicitly state that such orders become final. This bill removes that requirement, instead making temporary emergency custody determinations automatically final after six months if no other court takes jurisdiction. It directly affects parents and courts in Alabama handling urgent child safety cases under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Enforcement Act (UCCJEA), streamlining the process when no further action is taken by other states. The change takes effect October 1, 2026.