FIRSTREGULARSESSION
HOUSEBILLNO.1495
103RDGENERALASSEMBLY
INTRODUCEDBYREPRESENTATIVEJONES(88).
2646H.01I JOSEPHENGLER,ChiefClerk
ANACT
Torepealsection210.125,RSMo,andtoenactinlieuthereoftwonewsectionsrelatingto
childabuseorneglect.
BeitenactedbytheGeneralAssemblyofthestateofMissouri,asfollows:
SectionA.Section210.125,RSMo,isrepealedandtwonewsectionsenactedinlieu
2thereof,tobeknownassections210.125and210.144,toreadasfollows:
210.125.1.Apoliceofficer,lawenforcementofficial,oraphysicianwhohas
2reasonablecausetosuspectthatachildissufferingfromillnessorinjuryorisindangerof
3personalharmbyreasonofhissurroundingsandthatacaseofchildabuseorneglectexists,
4mayrequestthatthejuvenileofficertakethechildintoprotectivecustodyunderchapter211.
5 2.Apoliceofficer,lawenforcementofficial,oraphysicianwhohasreasonablecause
6tobelievethatachildisinimminentdangerofsufferingseriousphysicalharmorathreatto
7lifeasaresultofabuseorneglectandsuchpersonhasreasonablecausetobelievetheharmor
8threattolifemayoccurbeforeajuvenilecourtcouldissueatemporaryprotectivecustody
9orderorbeforeajuvenileofficercouldtakethechildintoprotectivecustody,thepolice
10officer,lawenforcementofficialorphysicianmaytakeorretaintemporaryprotectivecustody
11ofthechildwithouttheconsentofthechild'sparents,guardianorotherslegallyresponsible
12forhiscare.
13 3.Anypersontakingachildinprotectivecustodyunderthissectionshall
14immediatelynotifythejuvenileofficerofthecourtofthecountyinwhichthechildislocated
15ofhisactionsandnotifythedivisionandmakeareasonableattempttoadvisetheparents,
16guardiansorotherslegallyresponsibleforthechild'scare.Thejurisdictionofthejuvenile
17courtattachesfromthetimethejuvenileistakenintoprotectivecustody.Suchpersonshall
EXPLANATION—Matterenclosedinbold-facedbrackets[thus] intheabovebillisnotenactedandis
intendedtobeomittedfromthelaw.Matterinbold-facetypeintheabovebillisproposedlanguage. 18file,assoonaspracticablebutnolaterthantwelvehours,awrittenstatementwiththejuvenile
19officerwhichsetsforththeidentityofthechildandthefactsandcircumstanceswhichgave
20suchpersonreasonablecausetobelievethattherewasimminentdangerofseriousphysical
21harmorthreattothelifeofthechild.Uponnotificationthatachildhasbeentakeninto
22protectivecustody,thejuvenileofficershalleitherreturnthechildtohisparents,guardian,or
23othersresponsibleforhiscareorshallinitiatechildprotectiveproceedingsunderchapter211.
24Innoeventshallanemployeeofthedivision,actinguponhisown,removeachildunderthe
25provisionsofthisact.
26 4.Temporaryprotectivecustodyforpurposesofthissectionshallnotexceedtwenty-
27fourhours.Temporaryprotectivecustodyforaperiodbeyondtwenty-fourhoursmaybe
28authorizedonlybyanorderofthejuvenilecourt, exceptcasesinwhichaparent,guardian,
29orlegalrepresentativeprovidesproofofaknownmedicalconditionfoundwithina
30child'smedicalhistorythatcontradictssuchabuseorneglectallegations.Proofunder
31thissubsectionshallbeacceptedbytheguardianadlitem,thecaseworker,apeace
32officer,oranyotherindividualinvolvedintheinvestigationthatisnottheparent,
33guardian,orlegalrepresentative.
34 5.Forthepurposesofthissection,"temporaryprotectivecustody"shallmean
35temporaryplacementwithinahospitalormedicalfacilityoremergencyfostercarefacilityor
36suchothersuitablecustodyplacementasthecourtmaydirect;provided,however,thatan
37abusedorneglectedchildmaynotbedetainedintemporarycustodyinasecuredetention
38facility.
210.144.1.Asusedinthissection,"network"meansthesexualassaultforensic
2examination-childabuseresourceandeducation(SAFE-CARE)network.
3 2.Anyagreementbetweenthedivisionandthenetworktoprovideassistancein
4connectionwithabuseorneglectinvestigationsconductedbythedivisionshallrequire
5thenetworktohavetheabilitytoobtainconsultationswithrandomizedgeneticistsor
6physicianswhospecializeinidentifyingconditionsthatmimicchildabusesymptomsor
7otheruniquehealthconditionsincluding,butnotlimitedto:
8 (1)Rickets;
9 (2)Ehlers-Danlossyndrome;
10 (3)Osteogenesisimperfecta;
11 (4)VitaminDdeficiency;
12 (5)Othersimilarmetabolicbonediseasesorconnectivetissuedisorders;or
13 (6)Anyothermedicalconditionthatmimicschildmaltreatmentorincreasesthe
14riskofamisdiagnosisofchildmaltreatment.
HB1495 2 15 3.Duringaninvestigationofabuseorneglectoranassessmentprovidedunder
16subsection2ofthissection,thedivisionshallreferachild'scaseforconsiderationwitha
17specialistif:
18 (1)Thedivisiondeterminesthechildrequiresaspecialtyconsultationwitha
19physician;
20 (2)Thechild'sprimarycareproviderorotherhealthcareproviderwho
21evaluatedthechildrecommendsaspecialtyconsultation;or
22 (3)Thechild'sparent,legalguardian,orlegalrepresentativerequestsaspecialty
23consultation.
24 4.Incasesinwhichaspecialtyconsultationisrequiredorsoughtbythedivision
25orthechild'sparent,legalguardian,orlegalrepresentative,thephysicianprovidingthe
26consultationshall:
27 (1)Belicensedtopracticemedicine;
28 (2)Beboardcertifiedinthephysician'sspecialtythatisrelevanttodiagnosing
29andtreatingtheconditionsdescribedundersubsection2ofthissection;and
30 (3)Notbeinvolvedwiththeinitialreportofsuspectedabuseorneglect.
31 5.Priortoreferringachildforaspecialtyconsultation,thedivisionshall
32providethechild'sparent,legalguardian,orlegalrepresentativewrittennoticeofthe
33name,contactinformation,andcredentialsofthespecialistprovidingtheconsultation,
34thechoiceofwhomtheparent,legalguardian,orlegalrepresentativeshallbepermitted
35toobject.Theparent,legalguardian,orlegalrepresentativeshallbeallowedtoseekhis
36orherownphysiciantoevaluatethechildandthemedicalreports.Theprovisionsof
37thissubsectionshallnotbeconstruedtoprohibitthechild'sparent,legalguardian,or
38legalrepresentativefromobtaininganalternativeoptionattheparent's,legal
39guardian's,orlegalrepresentative'sownexpense.Thedivisionshallconsiderand
40acceptanalternativeopinionanddocumentsuchopinioninthecasefile.Thepresiding
41judgeshalltakeunderconsiderationthefindingsofthealternativeopinion.
42 6.Thedivision,anyreferringprovider,ahospital,achildabusepediatrician,or
43anyothernetworkshallnotobstruct,prevent,orinhibitachild'sparent,legalguardian,
44orlegalrepresentativeor,ifrepresentedbyanattorney,theattorneyoftheparent,legal
45guardian,orlegalrepresentativefromobtainingallmedicalrecordsanddocumentation
46necessarytorequestanalternativeopinion,includingaccesstothechildforthat
47purposebyahealthcareprofessionalprovidinganalternativeorsecondopinion,or
48performingdiagnostictesting.
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