HB 989 – Best interests of a child. When considering the relevant factors in determining the best interests of the child, requires the court to consider the opinions and recommendations by a professional or member of the clergy in child custody proceedings upon the request of a parent. Oppose as drafted.

HB 990 – Orders of protections. Changes the laws regarding orders of protection by making renewals valid from the expiration date of the previously issued full order of protection, and restricting the court to one renewal of a full protective order. Currently, the court is allowed to issue a full order of protection and, upon a hearing with good cause, renew it twice.

HB 1050 – Driver’s License. (See Administrative Law)

HB 1052 – Child care subsidy benefits. Modifies the income eligibility criteria for the receipt of child care subsidy benefits.

HB 1084 – Background checks for in-home child care providers. Requires all in-home child care providers and all adults living in the home to submit to background checks.

HB 1124 – Child support. Modifies the higher education notification requirements for receipt of child support. Requires the child to submit to each parent prior to the beginning of classes for each semester documentation that the child is enrolled in and has completed each term, the grades and credits received for each course, and a listing of courses and the number of credits the child is enrolled in for the upcoming term.

HB 1126 – Child Advocacy Centers. Creates the Child Advocacy Center and imposes a two dollar fee on each party to a dissolution case where a dissolution judgment is rendered to fund it.

HB 1182 – Extends age of majority under certain circumstances. Permits parents, legal guardians, or other persons with custodial rights to petition the court to extend the child’s age of majority to eighteen for all purposes under state law.

HB 1183 – Changes the definition of “adult” and “child.” Changes the definition of “adult” and “child” so that a child is a person under eighteen years of age and an adult is a person eighteen years of age or older.

HB 1271 – Standby Guardianships. (See Probate/Trust Law)

HB 1279 – Juvenile court jurisdiction. Changes the age for juvenile court jurisdiction from younger than 15 and one-half years of age to younger than 15 for non-felony traffic ordinance violations.

HB 1394 – Prohibits disclosure of social security numbers. Prohibits the disclosure of Social Security numbers on child support checks, correspondence, and documents.

HB 1451 – Virtual visitation. Allows for virtual visitation with a child for the non-custodial parent and custodial parent during times when the child is with the non-custodial parent

HB 1518 – Ex parte orders of protection. (See Criminal Law)

SB 563 – Sexual and juvenile offenders. (See Criminal Law)

SB 564 – Adoption tax credits. Allows use of available credits for nonresident adoptions under certain circumstances.

SB 573 – Child support payments. Modifies various provisions relating to delinquent child support payments. Financial institutions shall place a hold on the bank accounts of any non-custodial parent who is more than fifteen days in arrears in child support payments. The hold on their account shall also prevent the non-custodial parent from purchasing real or personal property and from starting a business. The Division of Child Support Enforcement shall report the name of any non-custodial parent who is more than fifteen days in arrears in child support payments to consumer reporting agencies. If a non-custodial parent is more than fifteen days in arrears in child support payments, a lien shall be automatically filed on their real estate. Oppose as drafted - enforcement concerns.

SB 586 – CASA Funding. Establishes surcharges on domestic relations petitions to fund Missouri court-appointed special advocate programs

SB 596 – Standby guardianships. (See Probate/Trust Law)

SB 618 – Child support. Provides that electronic access cards may be issued to custodial parents for disbursement of child support payments.

SB 627 – Mandatory reporters of child abuse. Modifies provisions on mandatory reporters of child abuse by adding any person who has reasonable cause to suspect child abuse to the list of mandatory reporters. Increases the penalty for failing to report child abuse from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class D felony when the child at issue dies as a result of the abuse or neglect. Removes permissive language allowing any other person with reasonable cause to suspect child abuse to report the neglect. Oppose requiring attorneys to report their clients.

SB 649 - Modifies requirements for continuing child support obligation for children over 18 years of age. Provides that parents will be obligated to continue paying child support for a child past his or her eighteenth birthday if such child provides proof, upon written request by the parent sent by certified mail, that they are attending an institution of vocational or higher education. If the child fails to provide the requested documentation within twenty days, the child support obligation will be abated until the child provides the information, or until the child provides evidence that he or she has attempted to obtain the information from the institution.

An attempt by the parent obligated to pay support to send a written request for the child’s educational information to the parent entitled to receive support shall be sufficient to meet the requirements of the statute, as long as the child receives the request. An attempt by the child to send the requested documents to the parent entitled to receive support shall be sufficient to meet the requirements of the statute, as long as the support-paying parent receives the documents.

This act also alters the minimum hours of attendance for continued obligation of support to nine hours a semester or academic term, rather than twelve hours, and eliminates the requirement that a child who is taking less than twelve hours must prove that they are employed for at least fifteen hours weekly. Support concept.

SB 789 – Balanced and restorative approach in juvenile courts. Requires juvenile courts to incorporate a “balanced and restorative approach” in the care and treatment of juveniles, defined as community based care focusing on repairing the harm to the victim, holding the offender accountable and assisting to help the offender to become a responsible and productive member of society.

SB 836 – Modifies continuing child support obligation for children over eighteen years of age. Provides that once a child for whom support is being paid reaches the age of twenty-two, if he or she has achieved and continues to maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 or its equivalent at an institution of vocational or higher education, the parental support obligation shall continue until the child completes the program or reaches the age of twenty-four, whichever occurs first. The provisions of this subsection exclude any post-baccalaureate studies.

SB 886 – Maintenance payments. Modifies provisions regarding the termination of maintenance payments. Provides that the a former spouse shall be relieved from further payment of alimony and maintenance upon a finding that a former spouse is cohabitating or has cohabitated with another person in a relationship of a romantic nature. Provides that the romantic nature of any cohabitation is evidenced by the voluntary mutual assumption of those marital rights, duties, and obligations which are usually ascribed to the institution of marriage. Defines continued and habitual cohabitation occurs when the former spouse receiving alimony or maintenance resides with another person in a romantic relationship for a period of ninety or more consecutive days. Allows the court to determine that a continued cohabitation exists if there is evidence that the supported spouse resides with another person in a romantic relationship for periods of less than ninety days and the two periodically separate in order to circumvent the ninety-day requirement.