HB219--PROTECTIONOFCHILDRENANDVULNERABLEPERSONS
SPONSOR: Lewis
Thisbillreplacestheterm"childpornography"with"childsexual
abusematerial"throughoutstatute,butchildpornographyasit
willhaveexistedpriortotheeffectivedateofthislegislation
willstillbesubjecttotheprovisionsoftherelevantstatutes.
Theterm"childsexualabusematerial"nowincludesany
anatomicallycorrectdoll,mannequin,orrobotmeanttoresemblea
minorunder18yearsofageandintendedtobeusedforthepurpose
ofarousingorgratifyingthesexualdesireofanypersonorfor
thepurposeofterrorizingorcausingemotionaldistresstoany
person.
Thebillalsoestablishesthe"StatewideCouncilAgainstAdult
TraffickingandCommercialSexualExploitationofChildren"to
replacethe"StatewideCouncilonSexTraffickingandSexual
ExploitationofChildren",whichexpiredonDecember31,2023.The
newcouncilmustbecreatedwithin30daysofAugust28,2025,is
requiredtomeetatleastquarterly,andiswithintheOfficeof
theAttorneyGeneralandtheAttorneyGeneralorhisorher
designeewillbethechairofthecouncil. Themembersofthe
councilarespecifiedandincludetwomembersoftheSenate
appointedbythePresidentProTemoftheSenateandtwomembersof
theHouseofRepresentatives appointedbytheSpeakeroftheHouse
ofRepresentatives.
Thebillcreatesthe"Anti-TraffickingFund",ofwhichthestate
Treasurerwillbethecustodian. Moneyinthefundwillbeused
solelytopayforthepositionoftheexecutivedirectorofthe
statewidecouncil,educationandawarenessregardinghuman
trafficking,andanti-traffickingeffortsthroughoutthestate.
Currently,undercertaincircumstances, astatementmadebyachild
undertheageof14oravulnerableperson,orthevisualandaural
recordingofaverbalornonverbalstatementofthechildor
vulnerableperson,isadmissibleinevidenceincriminal
proceedingsassubstantiveevidencetoprovethetruthofthe
matterasserted. Thisbillincreasestheagetoachildunderthe
ageof18andamendsthedefinitionof"vulnerableperson"to
includeapersonwhosedevelopmentalleveldoesnotexceedthatof
anordinarychildof17yearsofage,increasedfrom14yearsof
age.
ThebillamendsSection537.046,RSMo,toaddtothedefinitionof
"childhoodsexualabuse"theoffensesofrapeintheseconddegree,
sodomyintheseconddegree,sexualabuseintheseconddegree, sexualtraffickingofachildinthefirstdegree,sexual
traffickingofachildintheseconddegree,sexualexploitationof
aminor,andchildusedinasexualperformance. Currently,a
personmayfileacauseofactiontorecoverdamagesfrominjuryor
illnesscausedbychildhoodsexualabusewithin10yearsofthe
plaintiffturning21yearsoldorwithinthreeyearsofdiscovering
thecauseoftheinjuryorillness. Thisbillincreasesthetime
from10yearsto20yearsandaddsthatapersoncanfileacause
ofactiontorecoverdamagesfrominjuryorillnesscausedby
tortiousconductthatcausedthevictimtobeavictimofchildhood
sexualabusewithin20yearsoftheplaintiffturning21yearsold
orthreeyearsofdiscoveringthecauseoftheinjuryorillness.
Thisbillallowsaprosecutingorcircuitattorneytorequest
assistancefromtheAttorneyGeneraltoassistinprosecutionof
childsextraffickingcases.
Thebillspecifiesthatthetermofimprisonmentfortheoffenseof
sexualtraffickingofachildintheseconddegreewhenitis
committedbyaparent,legalguardian,orotherpersonhaving
custodyorcontrolofachildis"lifeimprisonment", which,in
thisinstance,meansforthedurationoftheperson'snaturallife.
Anyrealorpersonalpropertythatwasused,attemptedtobeused,
orintendedtobeusedtocommitacertainunlawfulsexualoffense
maybeseizedandremainingproceedsfromthesaleoftheseized
propertyownedbythedefendantwillbefirstallocatedtopayan
orderofrestitutiontoavictimofhumantraffickingandany
remainingfundswillbedepositedintotheAnti-TraffickingFund.
Currently,theoffenseofpatronizingprostitutionisaclassD
felonyiftheindividualthepersonpatronizesis14yearsofage
oryounger. ThisbillincreasesthepenaltytoaclassBfelonyif
theindividualthepersonpatronizesis15yearsofageoryounger.
ThisbillissimilartoHB1450(2024).