All Children And Minors Legislation - Missouri

SCS/SB 1258 - This act modifies provisions relating to protections for elderly persons and the disabled receiving care for in-home services, adult day care, or personal care assistance. Under this act, the necessary statutory changes are made due to the transfer of the Division of Aging from the Department of Social Services to the Department of Health and Senior Services. SECTION 192.2000 The provisions on the elder abuse and neglect awareness program are modified to include information on financial exploitation of the elderly. SECTION 192.925 The definition of "protective services" is modified to mean a service provided by the state or other governmental or private organizations or individuals which are necessary for the eligible adult to meet his or her essential human needs. SECTION 2003 Immunity from civil and criminal liability is granted for any person making a report of abuse or neglect to the Department of Health and Senior Services unless the person acts negligently,[...]

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SB 1249 - This act provides that in any case involving child custody or support, the court may appoint a parenting coordinator as a neutral third party to assist the parents in resolving disputes concerning parental responsibilities and the implementation of a court-ordered parenting plan. The court order appointing such parenting coordinator shall specify the matters which the coordinator has authority to determine, however, appointment of a coordinator shall not divest the court of its exclusive jurisdiction and control of the case. The parenting coordinator shall possess the same qualifications as a mediator under Supreme Court Rule 88.05. A parenting coordinator may be appointed despite party objection if the court makes findings that the case is high-conflict, and that appointment of a coordinator is in the best interest of the child or children. The court shall consider the effect of any evidence of domestic violence on the parties' ability to engage in parent coordination [...]

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SB 1242 - This act modifies various provisions relating to foster care and adoption. The act: Provides that any employee of the Children's Division of the Department of Social Services may choose to become qualified or licensed as an emergency placement provider, a respite care provider, or a licensed foster home. Any employee who becomes qualified or licensed shall not provide care for any child in his or her caseload, but may, upon supervisory approval, choose to transfer the case to another employee in order to be able to provide such care. Sections 210.482, 210.486.7, and 210.545. Requires the Children's Division to establish procedures and promulgate rules to provide applications to become a licensed foster or preadoptive home, and approximately one half of all training, education, or other coursework to become licensed shall be available and able to be completed on an Internet website created and maintained by the division. Section 210.486.8. Requires the guardian ad [...]

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SB 1215 - This act relates to pregnancy prevention and abortion.SEXUAL EDUCATION This act provides that any course materials relating to human sexuality shall not only be medically and factually accurate, but shall also be based on peer reviewed projects that have been demonstrated to influence healthy behavior. The course instruction shall also present abstinence from sexual activity as the preferred choice of behavior in relation to all sexual activity as the only sure way to avoid pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections. The students shall also be presented with information about the health benefits and side effects of all contraceptives and barrier methods as a means to prevent pregnancy and to reduce the risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections or other diseases and well as information regarding the vaccine for the human papillomavirus. The instruction shall also help the students gain knowledge about the physical, biological, and hormonal changes of adolescence [...]

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SB 1194 - Currently, a person who pleads guilty to or is found guilty of forcible rape or sodomy of a child under the age of twelve shall receive a sentence of life imprisonment without eligibility for probation or parole for thirty years. Under this act, such crimes are punishable by either death or life imprisonment without probation, parole, or release, unless the offender has not yet reached the age of eighteen, in which case, the punishment shall only be life imprisonment without probation, parole, or release. The crimes of forcible rape or sodomy of a child under the age of twelve are treated in the same manner as first degree murder. With limited exceptions, such crimes may not be tried together with any offense other than such offense of the same nature. At any such trial, when the death penalty has not been waived, opposing counsel shall provide each other with certain information, such as a list of witnesses and a list of mitigating or aggravating circumstances that the counsel [...]

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SCS/SB 1167 - This act modifies various provisions relating to members of the military forces and their families. The act: Adds the chair of the Missouri Veterans' Commission, or a designee, as an ex officio member of the Missouri military preparedness and enhancement commission, and provides that the Military preparedness and enhancement commission's duties include developing methods to improve the prosperity and employment opportunities of retired military members and the families of former military members. Section 41.1010. Adds the chair of the Missouri military preparedness and enhancement commission, or a designee, as an ex officio member of the Missouri veterans' commission, and provides that the Missouri military preparedness and enhancement commission shall assist all veterans who are legal residents of Missouri. Section 42.007. Allows military dependents who do not meet our state's age requirements to enter kindergarten or first grade if the child has completed an [...]

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SB 1147 - This act provides that a petitioner may at any time file a petition to challenge entry of a judgment of paternity and child support upon filing an affidavit stating that evidence exists which was not considered before entry of judgment. Such petition shall also include either an allegation that genetic testing was conducted within the past 90 days using DNA methodology, was performed by an expert, and that the test results indicate a 99% or greater probability that the petitioner is not the child's father or a request to the court for an order of genetic paternity testing using DNA methodology. The court, after a hearing where all interested parties have been given an opportunity to present evidence and be heard and upon a finding of probable cause to believe the testing may result in a determination of non-paternity, may order the relevant parties to submit to genetic paternity testing. The petitioner shall pay for the costs of testing. The court shall grant relief and [...]

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SCS/SB 1132 - This act modifies provisions regarding adoption records. The State Registrar shall develop and, upon a birth parent's request, distribute a contact preference and a medical history form to the birth parent. The contact preference form allows a birth parent to list his or her preference for contact by the adoptee. If a contact preference form is filed with the registrar, a medical history form shall also be so filed. Upon receipt of the forms, the State Registrar shall attach such form to the original birth certificate of the adopted person. This act allows for an adopted person, the adopted person's attorney, or the adopted person's descendants, if the adopted person is deceased, to obtain a copy of the adopted person's original birth certificate from the State Registrar upon written application and proof of identification. The adopted person shall be 18 years of age or older and a born in Missouri. The adopted person shall also agree in writing to abide by the birth parent's [...]

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SCS/SBs 1122 & 789 - This act requires each health carrier to provide coverage for the treatment of autism spectrum disorder. Coverage under the act is limited to treatment that is prescribed by the insured's treating physician in accordance with a treatment plan. Under the act, an insurer shall not deny or refuse to issue coverage on an individual solely because the individual is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The treatment plan shall include all elements necessary for the health benefit plan to appropriately pay claims. The health benefit plan may only request an updated treatment plan once every 6 months from the treating physician to review medical necessity, unless the health benefit plan and the treating physician agree that a more frequent review is necessary due to emerging clinical circumstances. To be eligible for autism coverage, an individual shall be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at age 8 or younger. The coverage provided under this act shall only [...]

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SB 1103 - This act modifies provisions of the Family Care Safety Registry. This act removes the 2001 and 2002 employment dates for when all child-care, elder-care and personal care workers are required to register with the Family Care Safety Registry and requires all such workers, regardless of when they began employment, to register. Also, all employers regulated by, contracting with or who receive state or federal reimbursement services shall be required to ensure employees are registered. Under this act, providers certified, contracted or regulated by state agencies will be allowed to obtain specific detailed background screening information immediately. The registry will also provide background screening information to voluntary or recreational associations performing background screenings on unpaid volunteers who are placed in a child-care, elder-care, or personal-care setting. In addition, the registry will be allowed to report national criminal history information as authorized [...]

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SB 1106 - This act modifies the laws regarding the child abuse and neglect registry. The Child Abuse and Neglect (CAN) Review Board is authorized to place individuals on the registry. This act also requires the Children's Division of the Department of Social Services to maintain a criminal charges pending list and to display the fact that such list exists on the child abuse and neglect registry. The list shall prominently display a statement noting that all charged persons are presumed innocent until found guilty and that the persons on the criminal charges pending list have not been found guilty in a court of law. When the division learns that any person whose name is on the list has been acquitted, the person's name shall be removed immediately from the list. The criminal charges pending list is defined as a list of persons who have pending, unresolved charges of criminal abuse, neglect, sexual assault, rape, assault or murder. The Children's Division shall develop a process by which [...]

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SB 1095 - This act creates the crime of aggravated child kidnapping. A person, who is not a relative of the victim, commits such crime when he or she, after deliberation on the matter, kidnaps a child under the age of eighteen by forcible compulsion or kidnaps a child under the age of twelve without the consent of the child's parent or guardian, and also forcibly rapes or sodomizes such child. This crime is a felony punishable by either death or life imprisonment without probation, parole, or release, unless the offender has not yet reached the age of sixteen, in which case, the punishment shall only be life imprisonment without probation, parole, or release. The crime of aggravated child kidnapping is treated in the same manner as first degree murder. With limited exceptions, no aggravated child kidnapping offense may be tried together with any offense other than aggravated child kidnapping. At any such trial, when the death penalty has not been waived, opposing counsel shall provide [...]

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SCS/SB 1054 - This act expands the jurisdiction of juvenile courts to include individuals who are over seventeen years of age but not yet eighteen years of age, for the sole purpose of status offenses, by modifying the definitions of "child," "adult," and "status offense." All law enforcement officers, juvenile officers, school personnel, or court personnel shall have civil and criminal immunity from liability for any action taken or failure to take action involving a minor child who remains under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court if such action is based on a good faith belief by such officer or personnel that the minor child is not under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court. The provisions relating to extension of the juvenile court's jurisdiction shall not take effect until such time as spending by the state for juvenile officers and offices exceeds by three million eight hundred dollars the amount spent by the state for such officers and offices in fiscal year 2007. This [...]

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