Changing laws, helping kids and families
After a divisive 2022 Missouri legislative session that crippled the General Assembly’s efforts to pass many bills, lawmakers are back in session and looking to make up for the lost time.
Here at CMFCAA, we are following more than two dozen bills that would affect the children and families we serve. We support many of the bills in their initial stages, but our continued support hinges on how they are changed during the legislative session, which ends May 12.
“One way we work for our kids and families is by making sure they have a voice when state laws are being created or changed,” CMFCAA President DeAnna Alonso said. “We monitor the progress of bills and sometimes testify on important bills.”
One of the top bills we are following addresses the problem of missing Missouri foster children. There were 1,780 instances of Missouri foster children who went missing from the system between July 2018 and December 2020. That was according to a report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
It wasn’t just a Missouri problem. Nationwide, there were 110,446 episodes of Missing children, the Missouri Independent reported last May. The news source said the average time missing in Missouri
was 37 days.
House Bill 355 would add stronger protections for these children. Last year, CMFCAA testified in support of a similar bill. It also would allow youth to have options for “support letters,” giving some control back to the youth who are homeless. It would help to get them off the street quicker instead of waiting for someone to sign documentation. Our Community Connections Youth Project team, for instance, could write a letter to support homeless youth under this bill.
Here are the other bills we are following:
Senate bills:
SB70: Adopts the Counseling Interstate Compact for professional counselors. This compact will expand services for foster, adoptive, and kinship children and families.
SB91: Modifies provisions relating to abuse and neglect reporting, including a requirement to report companion animal abuse
SB133: Creates an income tax deduction for unborn children.
SB151: Authorizes a property tax exemption for certain property used for childcare.
SB162: Reduces the state sales tax rate for diapers and feminine hygiene products.
SB198: Modifies provisions relating to the waiver of fees for birth certificates for certain victims.
SB244: Modifies the exemptions from licensure required for certain homes for children.
SB229: Modifies provisions relating to Children’s Division contracts.
SB249: Modifies provisions relating to the Office of Child Advocate.
SB359: Modifies provisions relating to guardian’s ad litem (GAL).
SB375: Modifies provisions relating to child protection.
House bills:
HB6: Provides that a grandparent shall be given priority if it is in the best interest of the child to be placed in the custody of a third party.
HB81: Modifies provisions relating to required background checks of individuals employed by or associated with licensed residential care facilities, child placing agencies, or residential care facilities.
HB149:Requires hospital employees to receive training on detecting and reporting human trafficking.
HB 151: Modifies the offense of endangering the welfare of a child in the second degree.
HB 182: Prohibits the use of restraints on a child in juvenile court, with certain exceptions.
HB 312:Establishes the 21st-Century Missouri Social Services Gap Analysis Task Force.
HB350:Expands Missouri empowerment scholarship amounts for students with special needs.
HB354: Modifies provisions relating to MO HealthNet services for pregnant and postpartum women.
HB378: Creates a grant program for behavior crisis care centers.
HB390: Modifies provisions relating to guardian’s ad litem.
HB398: Prohibits a child-placing agency contracting with the state to provide foster care services from discriminating against a family because of the family’s religion.
HB417: Grants to employers to encourage employees to obtain upskill credentials.
HB454: Modifies provisions relating to criminal offenses involving a child.
Support HB 457:Authorizes an income tax deduction for an unborn child.
