Section 19-9-51. Hearings and studies in another state; costs

   (a) A court of this state may request the appropriate court of another state to:

   (1) Hold an evidentiary hearing;

   (2) Order a person to produce or give evidence pursuant to procedures of that state;

   (3) Order that an evaluation be made with respect to the custody of a child involved in a pending proceeding;

   (4) 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

   (5) Order a party to a child custody proceeding or any person having physical custody of the child to appear in the proceeding with or without the child.

(b) Upon request of a court of another state, a court of this state may hold a hearing or enter an order described in subsection (a) of this Code section.

(c) Travel and other necessary and reasonable expenses incurred under subsections (a) and (b) of this Code section may be assessed against the parties according to the law of this state.

(d) 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 child attains 18 years of age. Upon appropriate request by a court or law enforcement official of another state, the court shall forward a certified copy of those records.

Code 1981, § 19-9-51, enacted by Ga. L. 2001, p. 129, § 1.