HCSHB219--THEPROTECTIONOFCHILDRENANDVULNERABLEPERSONS
SPONSOR: Lewis
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPasswithHCS"bytheStanding
CommitteeonChildrenandFamiliesbyavoteof16to0.
ThefollowingisasummaryoftheHouseCommitteeSubstituteforHB
219.
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
councilarespecifiedandincludeamemberoftheSenateappointed
bythePresidentProTemoftheSenateandamemberoftheHouseof
Representatives appointedbytheSpeakeroftheHouseof
Representatives. TheCouncilisalsorequiredtohaveanexecutive
director,whomustbeappointedbytheAttorneyGeneralandwhose
compensationwillbesetbytheAttorneyGeneral.
Thebillcreatesthe"Anti-TraffickingFund",ofwhichtheState
TreasurerwillbethecustodianandofwhichtheTreasureris
requiredtoapprovedisbursementsasrequiredbytheAttorney
General. Moneyinthefundwillbeusedsolelytopayforthe
positionoftheexecutivedirectorofthestatewidecouncil,
educationandawarenessregardinghumantrafficking,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
personcanfileacauseofactiontorecoverdamagesfrominjuryor
illnesscausedbychildhoodsexualabusewithin10yearsofthe
plaintiffturning21yearsoldorwithinthreeyearsofdiscovering
thecauseoftheinjuryorillness. Thisbillincreasesthetime
from10yearsto20yearsandaddsthatapersoncanfileacause
ofactiontorecoverdamagesfrominjuryorillnesscausedby
tortiousconductthatcausedthevictimtobeavictimofchildhood
sexualabusewithin20yearsoftheplaintiffturning21yearsold
orthreeyearsofdiscoveringthecauseoftheinjuryorillness.
Thisbillallowsaprosecutingorcircuitattorneytorequest
assistancefromtheAttorneyGeneraltoassistinprosecutionof
childsextraffickingcases.
Thebillchangestheageofapersonuponwhomapersoncommitsthe
offenseofsexualtraffickingofachildinthefirstdegreefrom
undertheageof12toundertheageof14.Thetermof
imprisonmentforthisoffenseinthefirstdegreeremainslife
imprisonment,butthebillchangestheoffender'seligibilityfor
probationorparoletothirtyyearsservedfromthecurrenttwenty-
five.
Thebillspecifiesthatthetermofimprisonmentfortheoffenseof
sexualtraffickingofachildintheseconddegreewhenitis
committedbyaparent,legalguardian,orotherpersonhaving
custodyorcontrolofachildis"lifeimprisonment", which,in
thisinstance,meansforthedurationoftheperson'snaturallife.
Anyrealorpersonalpropertythatwasused,attemptedtobeused,
orintendedtobeusedtocommitacertainunlawfulsexualoffense
canbeseizedandremainingproceedsfromthesaleoftheseized
propertyownedbythedefendantwillbefirstallocatedtopayan
orderofrestitutiontoavictimofhumantraffickingandany
remainingfundswillbedepositedintotheAnti-TraffickingFund. Currently,theoffenseofpatronizingprostitutionisaclassD
felonyiftheindividualthepersonpatronizesis14yearsofage
oryounger. ThisbillincreasesthepenaltytoaclassBfelonyif
theindividualthepersonpatronizesis15yearsofageoryounger.
ThisbillissimilartoHB1450(2024).
Thefollowingisasummaryofthepublictestimonyfromthe
committeehearing. Thetestimonywasbasedontheintroduced
versionofthebill.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatthereauthorization ofthe
StatewideCouncilisparamounttoensuringthatinformed
recommendations cancontinuetobemadetolawmakers,asthisissue
isvastlycomplexandrequiressustainedstudy.Additionally,
Missouriisatacrossroadsandlawsshouldbemodernizedtomatch
theever-changingtacticsoftraffickersaswellastoprioritize
victimsandtheirrecovery.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative Lewis;
TimothyFaber;ElizabethPhillips;GrantBoyd;MissouriNetwork
AgainstChildAbuse;JulieSeymore,TheChildAdvocacyCenterof
NortheastMissouri;MissouriCoalitionForChildren;KidsWin
Missouri;GatewayAllianceAgainstHumanTrafficking;JordanPaige
Campbell,HealingActionNetwork.
OPPONENTS: Thosewhoopposethebillsaythatthisbillisa
duplicationofservicesthatarealreadybeingprovidedbythe
AttorneyGeneralaswellasState,Federal,andlocalagenciesand
nonprofits.
TestifyinginpersonagainstthebillwasArnieDienoff.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.