SECONDREGULARSESSION
HOUSEBILLNO.2596
101STGENERALASSEMBLY
INTRODUCEDBYREPRESENTATIVECOOK.
5173H.01I DANARADEMANMILLER,ChiefClerk
ANACT
Torepealsection568.060,RSMo,andtoenactinlieuthereofonenewsectionrelatingtothe
offenseofabuseorneglectofachild,withpenaltyprovisions.
BeitenactedbytheGeneralAssemblyofthestateofMissouri,asfollows:
SectionA.Section568.060,RSMo,isrepealedandonenewsectionenactedinlieu
2thereof,tobeknownassection568.060,toreadasfollows:
568.060.1.Asusedinthissection,thefollowingtermsshallmean:
2 (1)"Abuse",theinflictionofphysical,sexual,ormentalinjuryagainstachildbyany
3personeighteenyearsofageorolder.Forpurposesofthissection,abuseshallnotinclude
4injuryinflictedonachildbyaccidentalmeansbyapersonwithcare,custody,orcontrolof
5thechild,ordisciplineofachildbyapersonwithcare,custody,orcontrolofthechild,
6includingspanking,inareasonablemanner;
7 (2)"Abusiveheadtrauma",aseriousphysicalinjurytotheheadorbraincausedby
8anymeans,includingbutnotlimitedtoshaking,jerking,pushing,pulling,slamming,hitting,
9orkicking;
10 (3)"Mentalinjury",aninjurytotheintellectualorpsychologicalcapacityorthe
11emotionalconditionofachildasevidencedbyanobservableandsubstantialimpairmentof
12theabilityofthechildtofunctionwithinhisorhernormalrangeofperformanceorbehavior;
13 (4)"Neglect",thefailuretoprovide,bythoseresponsibleforthecare,custody,and
14controlofachildundertheageofeighteenyears,thecarereasonableandnecessaryto
15maintainthephysicalandmentalhealthofthechild,whensuchfailurepresentsasubstantial
16probabilitythatdeathorphysicalinjuryorsexualinjurywouldresult;
EXPLANATION—Matterenclosedinbold-facedbrackets[thus] intheabovebillisnotenactedandis
intendedtobeomittedfromthelaw.Matterinbold-facetypeintheabovebillisproposedlanguage. 17 (5)"Physicalinjury",physicalpain,illness,oranyimpairmentofphysicalcondition,
18includingbutnotlimitedtobruising,lacerations,hematomas,welts,orpermanentor
19temporarydisfigurementandimpairmentofanybodilyfunctionororgan;
20 (6)"Seriousemotionalinjury",aninjurythatcreatesasubstantialriskoftemporaryor
21permanentmedicalorpsychologicaldamage,manifestedbyimpairmentofabehavioral,
22cognitive,orphysicalcondition.Seriousemotionalinjuryshallbeestablishedbytestimony
23ofqualifiedexpertsuponthereasonableexpectationofprobableharmtoareasonabledegree
24ofmedicalorpsychologicalcertainty;
25 (7)"Seriousphysicalinjury",aphysicalinjurythatcreatesasubstantialriskofdeath
26orthatcausesseriousdisfigurementorprotractedlossorimpairmentofthefunctionofany
27partofthebody.
28 2.Apersoncommitstheoffenseofabuseorneglectofachildifsuchperson
29knowinglycausesachildwhoislessthaneighteenyearsofage:
30 (1)Tosufferphysicalormentalinjuryasaresultofabuseorneglect;or
31 (2)Tobeplacedinasituationinwhichthechildmaysufferphysicalormentalinjury
32astheresultofabuseorneglect.
33 3.Apersoncommitstheoffenseofabuseorneglectofachildifsuchperson
34recklesslycausesachildwhoislessthaneighteenyearsofagetosufferfromabusivehead
35trauma.
36 4.Apersondoesnotcommittheoffenseofabuseorneglectofachildbyvirtueofthe
37solefactthatthepersondeliversorallowsthedeliveryofachildtoaproviderofemergency
38services.
39 5.Theoffenseofabuseorneglectofachildis:
40 (1)AclassDfelony,withouteligibilityforprobation,parole,orconditionalrelease
41untilthedefendanthasservednolessthanoneyearofsuchsentenceinthedepartmentof
42corrections, unlessthepersonhaspreviouslybeenfoundguiltyofaviolationofthissection
43orofaviolationofthelawofanyotherjurisdictionthatprohibitsthesameorsimilarconduct
44ortheinjuryinflictedonthechildisaseriousemotionalinjuryoraseriousphysicalinjury,in
45whichcaseabuseorneglectofachildisaclassBfelony,withouteligibilityforprobationor
46paroleuntilthedefendanthasservednotlessthanfiveyearsofsuchsentenceinthe
47departmentofcorrections; or
48 (2)AclassAfelonyifthechilddiesasaresultofinjuriessustainedfromconduct
49chargeableundertheprovisionsofthissection.
50 6.Notwithstandingsubsection5ofthissectiontothecontrary,theoffenseofabuseor
51neglectofachildisaclassAfelony,withouteligibilityforprobation,parole,orconditional
52releaseuntilthedefendanthasservednotlessthanfifteenyearsofsuchsentenceinthe
53departmentofcorrections, if:
HB2596 2 54 (1)Theinjuryisaseriousemotionalinjuryoraseriousphysicalinjury;
55 (2)Thechildislessthanfourteenyearsofage;and
56 (3)Theinjuryistheresultofsexualabuseorsexualabuseinthefirstdegreeas
57definedundersection566.100orsexualexploitationofaminorasdefinedundersection
58573.023.
59 7.Thecircuitorprosecutingattorneymayreferapersonwhoissuspectedofabuseor
60neglectofachildtoanappropriatepublicorprivateagencyfortreatmentorcounselingso
61longastheagencyhasconsentedtotakingsuchreferrals.Nothinginthissubsectionshall
62limitthediscretionofthecircuitorprosecutingattorneytoprosecuteapersonwhohasbeen
63referredfortreatmentorcounselingpursuanttothissubsection.
64 8.Nothinginthissectionshallbeconstruedtoaltertherequirementthatevery
65elementofanycrimereferredtohereinmustbeprovenbeyondareasonabledoubt.
66 9.Discipline,includingspankingadministeredinareasonablemanner,shallnotbe
67construedtobeabuseunderthissection.
âś”
HB2596 3