This section names the law as the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act, which deals with how child custody issues are handled across different states.

This section defines key terms used in child custody laws in California. It clarifies what 'abandoned' means, who qualifies as a 'child,' and what constitutes a 'child custody determination,' referring to various court orders regarding a child's custody but not child support issues. It describes a 'child custody proceeding,' which involves legal decisions about a child's care and mentions the types of cases it includes, like divorce or abuse, but not juvenile delinquency. It defines 'home state' as where a child lived before custody cases start, and explains terms like 'initial determination,' 'modification,' and who is a 'person acting as a parent.' Other terms defined include 'physical custody,' 'state,' 'tribe,' and 'warrant.'

This law section says it doesn't apply to adoption cases or cases about allowing emergency medical care for a child.

This law section explains that when it comes to child custody cases involving Native American children, the Indian Child Welfare Act takes precedence over California's rules. It also requires California courts to treat Native American tribes like other U.S. states when applying certain child custody laws. Lastly, if a tribe makes a child custody decision that meets certain standards, California courts must recognize and enforce that decision.

This law says that California courts should treat foreign countries like other U.S. states when handling child custody cases. If a foreign country makes a decision about child custody that follows similar standards to California, that decision should usually be recognized and enforced. However, if the foreign country's child custody laws go against basic human rights, California courts don't have to recognize or enforce those decisions.

If a California court makes a decision about child custody and has the legal authority to do so, that decision is final for everyone involved who was properly informed or who agreed to the court's authority. The decision can only be changed if it's formally modified later.

If there's a dispute about which court has the right to make decisions in a child custody case, and a party asks for it, this issue must be addressed quickly and given importance in court scheduling.

When a court in California wants to assert control over someone who is out of state, they must notify them in a way that is likely to actually reach them, either through California's procedures or the rules of the other state. If standard methods don't work, they can use public notices. Proof of sending this notice should follow the rules of either the originating state or the state where the service happens. However, if the individual voluntarily agrees to the court's authority, no notice is necessary.

This law says that if you're involved in a child custody case in California, just because you're in the state for that reason doesn't mean you're under California's legal authority for anything else. However, if you have other legal ties to California, you're not protected from being served legal papers. Additionally, if you're here for the custody case and do something unrelated that's legally questionable, this law won't protect you from being sued for that other action.

This law allows California courts to communicate with courts in other states about cases that fall under this section. The parties involved may be included in the conversation, and if they aren't, they'll have a chance to share their information and legal views before the court decides on where the case should be heard (jurisdiction). Simple communications about things like schedules or records between courts don't need to be recorded or shared with the parties. However, any other type of communication must be recorded, and the parties involved must be informed and allowed to see or hear the record. A 'record' can be anything stored physically or electronically that one can access and read or hear.

This law allows people involved in child custody cases to provide testimony from outside the state through methods like depositions or video calls. The court can require out-of-state testimony and decide how it will be conducted. It also permits courts to help each other ensure testimonies occur smoothly, and allows for the use of technological methods to transmit documents from other states, even if they aren't in their original form.

This law allows for courts in one state to request courts in another state to help with certain actions related to child custody cases. These actions can include holding hearings, collecting evidence, evaluating child custody situations, and making people involved in the case appear in court. Additionally, courts can share these records with each other as needed. Courts can also charge people for reasonable expenses related to these actions. Importantly, any documents and records related to a child custody case must be kept until the child turns 18, and can be shared with other states if requested by another court or by law enforcement.