HB2095--CHILDABUSEINVESTIGATIONS
SPONSOR: Kelly(141)
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPass"bytheStandingCommitteeon
ElementaryandSecondaryEducationbyavoteof19to0.
Thebillrepealslanguagerelatedtothejurisdictionofthe
Children'sDivisionwithintheDepartmentofSocialServicesand
itsabilitytoinvestigatereportsofallegedchildabuseby
personnelofaschooldistrict,ateacher,orotherschool
employee. Italsorepealslanguagerelatedtohowaschooland
schooldistrictaretohandlereportsofallegedchildabuse.
ThisbillissimilartoHCSHB673(2021).
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatthisbillwillbringthechild
abuseinvestigationprocessforschooldistrictsinlinewiththe
waythattheyareinvestigatedelsewhereinthestate.Allowing
districtstoinvestigatetheirownabusecaseshasledtodistricts
determiningthatabusehasn'toccurredmerelytoprotectthe
districtemployeeratherthanthechild.Teachersandschool
districtstaffaremandatedreportersandthislanguagewillallow
theseindividualstobeabletoreportabusewithouthavingto
involveadministration.
TestifyingforthebillwereRepresentative Kelly;AerielWhite;
AmandaCooper;AmySalladay;AndrewGausch;AnnBecker;Christina
MaryIngoglia;ChristopherFaughn;CynthiaRamsey;JacalynRenae
Houston;JaymeClevenger;JeanetteThomas;JoyceCarolFenner;
JuliaFaughn;JulieLane;KathrynLegrand;KatiePappageorge;
KristinRehg;LyndsayHinkebein;MarisaHagler;MildredChaney;
RebeccaShaw;RebeccaUccello;ShellyRolf;StephanieChamberlin;
TamaraBeidle;VanessaHagedorn;VickyTheroux;WalterChaney;
AngelaJones;MelissaLittle;TraceyBloch;JanKuseski;Jennifer
Kocher;MissouriCoalitionforChildren;VictoriaGodfrey-Zeller;
MichelleRibaudo;TaraArnett;AnnaFayShallenberger; Teresa
Scobee;LindiWilliford;ChristineBrown;JennellHouts;Luke
Barber;ChrystalBlauvelt;KidsWinMissouri;MissouriKidsFirst;
MissouriNationalEducationAssociation;MissouriCoalitionof
Children;AmandaMadore;andMissouriDisabilityEmpowerment.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonycanbefoundunderTestimonyonthebillpageon
theHousewebsite.