Child Protection and Safety

HB 1281 - Sponsor: Jeff Roorda (D-102)
Authorizes counties to assess a fee on all civil case filings by the circuit court to provide funding to qualified nonprofit organizations to implement a neutral site child custody exchange program.
Status: Read second time 1-07-10

HB 1318 - Sponsor: Belinda Harris (D-110)
Changes the laws regarding the relocation of a child by the custodial parent
Status: Referred Judiciary 2-03-10

HB 1319 - Sponsor: Belinda Harris (D-110)
Removes the provision regarding termination of a child custody order by the timely objection of the respondent and requires that the order be terminated after a hearing where both parties are heard.
Status: Read second time 1-07-10

HB 1398 - Sponsor: Jeff Roorda (D-102)
Prohibits any child who is suspected of being a victim of abuse or neglect from being denied access to mental health care and treatment regardless of who is responsible for the child’s care or custody.
Status: Read second time 1-07-10

HB 1613 – Sponsor: Rachel Storch (D-64)
Changes the law regarding the Safe Place for Newborns Act by increasing from 5 to 60 days after
birth the time a parent can relinquish physical custody of a newborn without being prosecuted.
Status: Read second time 1-14-10

HB 1614 – Sponsor: Rachel Storch (D-64)
Establishes Nathan's Law which changes the laws regarding child care facilities
Status: Read second time 1-14-10

HB 1867 – Sponsor: Paul LeVota (D-52)
Adds any adult person who resides in the same household and witnesses the abuse or neglect or
possible abuse or neglect of a child to the list of persons required to report or make a report.
Status: Read second time 2-01-10

SB 652 - Sponsor: Luann Ridgeway (R-17)
Allows jury trials in termination of parental rights actions.
Status: Referred Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee 1-13-10

SB 614 - Sponsor: Yvonne Wilson (D-9)
Modifies the definition of "bullying" as used in school district anti-bullying policies to include cyberbullying and electronic communications.
Status: Hearing Education Committee 1-27-10

SB 631 - Sponsor: Jane Cunningham (R-7)
Creates the "Amy Hestir” Student Protection Act. This act grants the Office of the Child Advocate
the authority to file any findings or reports of the Child Advocate regarding the parent or child with the court and to issue recommendations regarding the disposition of an investigation, which may be provided to the court and the investigating agency.
Status: Hearing Education Committee 2-03-10

SB 805 – Sponsor: Charlie Shields (R-34)
Allows the Children's Division to request a juvenile officer to take a child into protective custody
under certain circumstances.
Status: Hearing Health, Mental Health, Seniors and Families 2-09-10

HB 1856 – Sponsor: Jason Grill (D-32)
Increases the penalty for the crime of selling, providing, or distributing tobacco products to any
person younger than 18 years of age.
Status: Read second time 2-01-10

SB 806 – Sponsor: Matt Bartle (D-8)
Modifies provisions relating to children who are victims of pornographic offenses.
Status: Hearing Judiciary Criminal/Civil Jurisprudence 2-01-10
SJR 33 – Sponsor: Matt Bartle (D-8)
Allows in prosecutions for crimes of a sexual nature involving a victim under eighteen years of age, evidence of prior criminal acts to be admissible into evidence for certain purposes.
Status: Perfection calendar 2-15-10
Educational Successes

HB 1215 - Sponsor: Gary Dusenburg (R-54)
Requires health screening for public school students in the second and eighth grades.
Status: Read second time 1-07-10

HB 1463 Sponsor: Steve Hodges (D-161)
Requires every public school district to screen its students for Sensory Processing Disorder before the end of first grade and again before the end of third grade.
Status: Read second time 1-07-10

HB 1297 – Sponsor: Sara Lampe (D-138)
Lowers the age when a child must start attending school from seven to six years of age and requires, beginning in the 2010 school year, all public schools to have an all-day kindergarten program.
Status: Read second time 1-07-10

HB 1861 – Sponsor: Jason Grill (D-32)
Establishes the Missouri Books From Birth Program to encourage preschool children to read.
Status: Read second time 2-01-10

SB 625 - Sponsor: Jolie Justus (D-10) - CMC Legislative Priority
Modifies the income eligibility criteria for any person receiving state-funded child care assistance, either through vouchers or direct reimbursement to child care providers so individuals can continue to receive subsidy up to 45% above appropriation level (transitional child care subsidy).
Status: Hearing Health, Mental Health, Seniors and Family Committee 2-16-10

SB 775 - Sponsor: Rita Days (D-14)
Adds an additional weight for gifted education to the elementary and
secondary education funding formula
Status: Referred Education Committee 1-19-10

SB 654 - Sponsor: Jason Crowell (R-27)
Creates the Missouri Special Needs Scholarship Tax Credit Program
Status: Referred Governmental Accountability and Fiscal Oversight Committee 1-13-10

HB 1893 – Sponsor: Chris Kelly (D-24)
Revises the law regarding distribution of gaming funds.
Status: Hearing Veterans Committee 2-09-10
Child Health and Mental Health

HB 1251 - Sponsor: David Sater (R-68)
Requires the reporting of health insurance information on Missouri income returns and the
providing of a notice to those taxpayers eligible for health insurance assistance for dependent
children.
Status: Read second time 1-17-10

HB 1625 - Sponsor: Bob Nance (R-36) - CMC Legislative Priority
Requires the reporting of health insurance information on Missouri income returns and the
providing of a notice to those taxpayers eligible for health insurance assistance for dependent
children.
Status: Read second time 1-14-10

HB 1561 - Sponsor: Jeff Roorda (D-102)
Establishes an excise tax on certain caffeinated drinks to fund the state children's health insurance program
Status: Read second time 1-11-10

HB 1467 - Sponsor: Bob Nance (R-36)
Requires the Department of Social Services to identify eligible children who are not participating in the State Children's Health Insurance Program.
Status: Read second time 1-07-10

HB 1259 - Sponsor: Jason Holsman (D-45)
Adds home nursing visits and follow-up care as needed for certain at-risk newborns to the list of
covered services under the MO HealthNet Program
Status: read second time 1-07-10

HB 1296 - Sponsor: Sara Lampe (D-138)
Changes the laws regarding the identification, assessment, and education of children with autism
spectrum disorder.
Status: Read second time 1-07-10

HCS HB 1311 and 1341 - Sponsors: Dwight Scharnhorst (R-93) and Jason Grill (D-32)
Requires health carriers issuing or requiring a health benefit plan to provide coverage for the
diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders
Status: Voted Do Pass Rules 2-08-10

SB 618 - Sponsor: Scott Rupp (R-2)
Requires health carriers to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders under certain conditions
Status: Third reading 2-15-10

HB 1304 - Sponsor: Steve Hodges (D-161)
Requires health insurance coverage to continue for any child or dependent of an enrollee with
Down Syndrome after they reach 18 years of age.
Status: Read second time 1-07-10

HB 1398 – Sponsor: Jeff Roorda (D-102)
Prohibits denial of mental health care and treatment for children who alleged vicitims of abuse and neglect and requires guardians ad litem to have training in child abuse and neglect or mental health.
Status: Read second time 1-07-10

SB 712 - Sponsor: Joan Bray (D-24)
This act establishes a Commission on the Reorganization of State Health Care which shall have as its purpose the study, review and recommendation of creating a Division of State Health Care within the Office of Administration.
Status: Referred Financial and Governmental Organizations and Elections Committee 1-19-10

SB 722 - Sponsor: Joan Bray (D-24)
This act establishes the Missouri Universal Health Assurance Program. The program is a publicly
financed, statewide program that will provide comprehensive necessary health, mental health, and dental care services for Missouri residents.
Status: Referred Small Business, Insurance and Industry Committee 1-19-10

HCR 57 – Sponsor: Beth Low (D-39)
Supports efforts to invest in children now because an investment in children and early childhood
education programs is an investment in Missouri’s children.
 
Economic Security

SB 693 - Sponsor: Yvonne Wilson (D-9)
This act establishes a Foster Care and Adoptive Parents Recruitment and Retention Fund.
Status: Perfection calendar 2-15-10
 
 
Priorities for CCMFCAA
 
Define the Missouri State Foster Care and Adoption Board in statute.
This board should serve as a review body for Children’s Division policies related to the provision of foster care and adoption services to children and families.
The board (comprised of foster and adoptive parents from every area of the state of Missouri) should work in partnership with the Children’s Division’s Central Office to both draft and review policy changes in current foster care and adoption processes.
This would provide the Children’s Division with more “real-time” information and help increase communication between the Children’s Division and the foster care community, resulting in better coordination of care for foster children
Status: Introduced 2-11-10
Revise the current Foster Parent’s Bill of Rights (RSMO 210.566) to strengthen provisions related to the rights of siblings to be placed together in foster and adoptive care, and to strengthen provisions to ensure the professional treatment of Missouri foster parents.
 
Protect funding for foster care maintenance and adoption subsidy for families caring for Missouri’s abused and neglected children.
 
Protect the Privacy of Children in Foster Homes
Revise the foster home licensing statutes to exclude foster parent’s records form  those considered open under Missouri’s Sunshine Laws, unless opened by an order from a court of competent jurisdiction.
 
Empower the Office of the Child Advocate
Add the authority for this office to legally intervene in specific child abuse/neglect actions, when the interests of the children subject to an OCA investigation warrant this type of intervention for the child’s protection or best interest.
 
Missouri Health Net
Continue to work to protect adequate and accessible physical and mental health treatment for children in foster care and adoptive homes
 
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