FIRSTREGULARSESSION
[PERFECTED]
HOUSEBILLNO.121
103RDGENERALASSEMBLY
INTRODUCEDBYREPRESENTATIVEMURPHY.
0797H.01P JOSEPHENGLER,ChiefClerk
ANACT
Torepealsection210.950,RSMo,andtoenactinlieuthereofonenewsectionrelatingto
newbornsafetyincubators.
BeitenactedbytheGeneralAssemblyofthestateofMissouri,asfollows:
SectionA.Section210.950,RSMo,isrepealedandonenewsectionenactedinlieu
2thereof,tobeknownassection210.950,toreadasfollows:
210.950.1.Thissectionshallbeknownandmaybecitedasthe"SafePlacefor
2NewbornsActof2002".Thepurposeofthissectionistoprotectnewbornchildrenfrom
3injuryanddeathcausedbyabandonmentbyaparent,andtoprovidesafeandsecure
4alternativestosuchabandonment.
5 2.Asusedinthissection,thefollowingtermsmean:
6 (1)"Hospital",asdefinedinsection197.020;
7 (2)"Maternityhome",thesamemeaningassuchtermisdefinedinsection135.600;
8 (3)"Newbornsafetyincubator",amedicaldeviceusedtomaintainanoptimal
9environmentforthecareofanewborninfant;
10 (4)"Nonrelinquishingparent",thebiologicalparentwhodoesnotleaveanewborn
11infantinanewbornsafetyincubatororwithanypersonlistedinsubsection3ofthissectionin
12accordancewiththissection;
13 (5)"Pregnancyresourcecenter",thesamemeaningassuchtermisdefinedinsection
14135.630;
EXPLANATION—Matterenclosedinbold-facedbrackets[thus] intheabovebillisnotenactedandis
intendedtobeomittedfromthelaw.Matterinbold-facetypeintheabovebillisproposedlanguage. 15 (6)"Relinquishingparent",thebiologicalparentorpersonactingonsuchparent's
16behalfwholeavesanewborninfantinanewbornsafetyincubatororwithanypersonlistedin
17subsection3ofthissectioninaccordancewiththissection.
18 3.Aparentshallnotbeprosecutedforaviolationofsection568.030,568.032,
19568.045or568.050foractionsrelatedtothevoluntaryrelinquishmentofachildupto[forty-
20five]ninetydaysoldpursuanttothissectionif:
21 (1)Expressingintentnottoreturnforthechild,theparentvoluntarilydeliveredthe
22childsafelytoanewbornsafetyincubatorortothephysicalcustodyofanyofthefollowing
23persons:
24 (a)Anemployee,agent,ormemberofthestaffofanyhospital,maternityhome,or
25pregnancyresourcecenterinahealthcareproviderpositionorondutyinanonmedicalpaid
26orvolunteerposition;
27 (b)Afirefighteroremergencymedicaltechnicianondutyinapaidpositionoron
28dutyinavolunteerposition;or
29 (c)Alawenforcementofficer;
30 (2)Thechildwasnomorethan[forty-five] ninetydaysoldwhendeliveredbythe
31parenttothenewbornsafetyincubatorortoanypersonlistedinsubdivision(1)ofthis
32subsection;and
33 (3)Thechildhasnotbeenabusedorneglectedbytheparentpriortosuchvoluntary
34delivery.
35 4.Aparentvoluntarilyrelinquishingachildunderthissectionshallnotberequiredto
36provideanyidentifyinginformationaboutthechildortheparent.Nopersonshallinduceor
37coerce,orattempttoinduceorcoerce,aparentintorevealinghisorheridentity.Noofficer,
38employee,oragentofthisstateoranypoliticalsubdivisionofthisstateshallattempttolocate
39ordeterminetheidentityofsuchparent.Inaddition,anypersonwhoobtainsinformationon
40therelinquishingparentshallnotdisclosesuchinformationexcepttothefollowing:
41 (1)Abirthparentwhohaswaivedanonymityorthechild'sadoptiveparent;
42 (2)Thestaffofthedepartmentofhealthandseniorservices,thedepartmentofsocial
43services,oranycountyhealthorsocialservicesagencyorlicensedchildwelfareagencythat
44providesservicestothechild;
45 (3)Apersonperformingjuvenilecourtintakeordispositionalservices;
46 (4)Theattendingphysician;
47 (5)Thechild'sfosterparentoranyotherpersonwhohasphysicalcustodyofthe
48child;
49 (6)Ajuvenilecourtorothercourtofcompetentjurisdictionconductingproceedings
50relatingtothechild;
HB121 2 51 (7)Theattorneyrepresentingtheinterestsofthepublicinproceedingsrelatingtothe
52child;and
53 (8)Theattorneyrepresentingtheinterestsofthechild.
54 5.Apersonlistedinsubdivision(1)ofsubsection3ofthissectionshall,withouta
55courtorder,takephysicalcustodyofachildthepersonreasonablybelievestobenomorethan
56[forty-five] ninetydaysoldandisdeliveredinaccordancewiththissectionbyaperson
57purportingtobethechild'sparentorisdeliveredinaccordancewiththissectiontoanewborn
58safetyincubator.Ifdeliveryofanewbornismadepursuanttothissectioninanyplaceother
59thanahospital,thepersontakingphysicalcustodyofthechildshallarrangefortheimmediate
60transportationofthechildtothenearesthospitallicensedpursuanttochapter197.
61 6.Thehospital,itsemployees,agentsandmedicalstaffshallperformtreatmentin
62accordancewiththeprevailingstandardofcareasnecessarytoprotectthephysicalhealthor
63safetyofthechild.Thehospitalshallnotifythechildren'sdivisionandthelocaljuvenile
64officeruponreceiptofachildpursuanttothissection.Thelocaljuvenileofficershall
65immediatelybeginprotectivecustodyproceedingsandrequestthechildbemadeawardof
66thecourtduringthechild'sstayinthemedicalfacility.Upondischargeofthechildfromthe
67medicalfacilityandpursuanttoaprotectivecustodyorderorderingcustodyofthechildtothe
68division,thechildren'sdivisionshalltakephysicalcustodyofthechild.Theparent's
69voluntarydeliveryofthechildinaccordancewiththissectionshallconstitutetheparent's
70impliedconsenttoanysuchactandavoluntaryrelinquishmentofsuchparent'sparental
71rights.
72 7.Inanyterminationofparentalrightsproceedinginitiatedaftertherelinquishment
73ofachildpursuanttothissection,thejuvenileofficershallmakepublicnoticethatachildhas
74beenrelinquished,includingthesexofthechild,andthedateandlocationofsuch
75relinquishment.Withinthirtydaysofsuchpublicnotice,theparentwishingtoestablish
76parentalrightsshallidentifyhimselforherselftothecourtandstatehisorherintentions
77regardingthechild.Thecourtshallinitiateproceedingstoestablishpaternity,orifnoperson
78identifieshimselfasthefatherwithinthirtydays,maternity.Thejuvenileofficershallmake
79examinationoftheputativefatherregistryestablishedinsection192.016todetermine
80whetherattemptshavepreviouslybeenmadetopreserveparentalrightstothechild.Ifsuch
81attemptshavebeenmade,thejuvenileofficershallmakereasonableeffortstoprovidenotice
82oftheabandonmentofthechildtosuchputativefather.
83 8.(1)Ifarelinquishingparentofachildrelinquishescustodyofthechildtoa
84newbornsafetyincubatorortoanypersonlistedinsubsection3ofthissectioninaccordance
85withthissectionandtopreservetheparentalrightsofthenonrelinquishingparent,the
86nonrelinquishingparentshalltakesuchstepsnecessarytoestablishparentagewithinthirty
87daysafterthepublicnoticeorspecificnoticeprovidedinsubsection7ofthissection.
HB121 3 88 (2)Ifeitherparentfailstotakestepstoestablishparentagewithinthethirty-day
89periodspecifiedinsubdivision(1)ofthissubsection,eitherparentmayhaveallofhisorher
90rightsterminatedwithrespecttothechild.
91 (3)Wheneitherparentinquiresatahospitalregardingachildwhosecustodywas
92relinquishedpursuanttothissection,suchfacilityshallrefersuchparenttothechildren's
93divisionandthejuvenilecourtexercisingjurisdictionoverthechild.
94 9.Thepersonslistedinsubdivision(1)ofsubsection3ofthissectionshallbe
95immunefromcivil,criminal,andadministrativeliabilityforacceptingphysicalcustodyofa
96childpursuanttothissectionifsuchpersonsacceptcustodyingoodfaith.Suchimmunity
97shallnotextendtoanyactsoromissions,includingnegligentorintentionalactsoromissions,
98occurringaftertheacceptanceofsuchchild.
99 10.Thechildren'sdivisionshall:
100 (1)Provideinformationandanswerquestionsabouttheprocessestablishedbythis
101sectiononthestatewide,toll-freetelephonenumbermaintainedpursuanttosection210.145;
102 (2)Provideinformationtothepublicbywayofpamphlets,brochures,orbyother
103waystodeliverinformationabouttheprocessestablishedbythissection.
104 11.Itshallbeanaffirmativedefensetoprosecutionforaviolationofsections
105568.030,568.032,568.045,and568.050thataparentwhoisadefendantvoluntarily
106relinquishedachildnomorethanoneyearoldunderthissection.
107 12.Nothinginthissectionshallbeconstruedasconflictingwithsection210.125.
108 13.(1)Thereisherebycreatedinthestatetreasurythe"SafePlacefor
109NewbornsFund",whichshallconsistofmoneysappropriatedbythegeneralassembly
110fromgeneralrevenueandanygifts,bequests,ordonations.Thestatetreasurershallbe
111custodianofthefund.Inaccordancewithsections30.170and30.180,thestatetreasurer
112mayapprovedisbursements.Thefundshallbeadedicatedfundand,upon
113appropriation,moneysinthisfundshallbeusedsolelyfortheinstallationof
114newbornsafetyincubators.
115 (2)Notwithstandingtheprovisionsofsection33.080tothecontrary,anymoneys
116remaininginthefundattheendofthebienniumshallnotreverttothecreditofthe
117generalrevenuefund.
118 (3)Thestatetreasurershallinvestmoneysinthefundinthesamemanneras
119otherfundsareinvested.Anyinterestandmoneysearnedonsuchinvestmentsshallbe
120creditedtothefund.
121 14.ThestateofMissourishallprovidematchingmoneysfromthegeneral
122revenuefundfortheinstallationofnewbornsafetyincubators.Thetotalamount
123availabletothefundfromstatesourcesundersuchamatchprogramshallbeuptoten
124thousanddollarsforeachnewbornsafetyincubatorinstalled.
HB121 4 125 15.Thedirectorofthedepartmentofhealthandseniorservicesmaypromulgateall
126necessaryrulesandregulationsfortheadministrationofthissection,includingrules
127governingthespecifications,installation,maintenance,andoversightofnewbornsafety
128incubators.Anyruleorportionofarule,asthattermisdefinedinsection536.010,thatis
129createdundertheauthoritydelegatedinthissectionshallbecomeeffectiveonlyifitcomplies
130withandissubjecttoalloftheprovisionsofchapter536and,ifapplicable,section536.028.
131Thissectionandchapter536arenonseverableandifanyofthepowersvestedwiththe
132generalassemblypursuanttochapter536toreview,todelaytheeffectivedate,orto
133disapproveandannularulearesubsequentlyheldunconstitutional,thenthegrantof
134rulemakingauthorityandanyruleproposedoradoptedafterAugust28,2021,shallbeinvalid
135andvoid.
âś”
HB121 5