HB 1989 -- Termination of Parental Rights

Sponsor:  Baker (123)

This bill revises the definition of "parent" as it relates to
parental rights in Chapters 210 and 211, RSMo, as a birth parent
or parents of the child, including a putative father of the child
and the husband of a birth mother at the time the child was
conceived, or a parent or parents of a child by adoption.  The
bill specifies that a putative father of a child will have no
legal relationship unless he has acknowledged the child on his
own by affirmatively asserting his paternity.

Currently, a juvenile court cannot place any child with a parent
if the parent or any person residing with the parent is found
guilty of or pled guilty to child abuse or a felony sexual
offense involving a child.  The bill adds the conviction or a
guilty plea for the same offenses committed in another state to
the list of violations preventing the placement of a child.  A
juvenile officer must file a petition to terminate the parental
rights of the child's parents for any of these offenses.

The age for which the juvenile court does not have jurisdiction
over a child who is alleged to have violated a state or municipal
traffic ordinance or regulation is lowered from 15 years and six
months to 15 years of age.

A peace officer of this state, upon the written request by
another peace officer of this state or any other state, the
federal government, or a prosecuting attorney of this state or
any other state, is allowed to disclose records, information, or
reports concerning a person younger than 17 years of age in an
investigation of a matter within his or her jurisdiction.

The bill changes the baseline year from 1997 to 2007 for the
calculation of the maintenance of effort funding for each county
in every circuit in which a juvenile court employee becomes a
state employee.

Missouri House of Representatives
94th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated October 15, 2008 at 3:11 pm