FIRSTREGULARSESSION
HOUSEBILLNO.286
103RDGENERALASSEMBLY
INTRODUCEDBYREPRESENTATIVEPROUDIE.
1228H.01I DANARADEMANMILLER,ChiefClerk
ANACT
Torepealsections210.140and352.400,RSMo,andtoenactinlieuthereoftwonewsections
relatingtoprivilegedcommunicationsregardingchildabuseorneglect.
BeitenactedbytheGeneralAssemblyofthestateofMissouri,asfollows:
SectionA.Sections210.140and352.400,RSMo,arerepealedandtwonewsections
2enactedinlieuthereof,tobeknownassections210.140and352.400,toreadasfollows:
210.140.Anylegallyrecognizedprivilegedcommunication,exceptthatbetween
2attorneyandclient[orinvolvingcommunicationsmadetoaministerorclergyperson], shall
3notapplytosituationsinvolvingknownorsuspectedchildabuseorneglectandshallnot
4constitutegroundsforfailuretoreportasrequiredorpermittedbysections210.110to
5210.165,tocooperatewiththedivisioninanyofitsactivitiespursuanttosections210.110to
6210.165,ortogiveoracceptevidenceinanyjudicialproceedingrelatingtochildabuseor
7neglect.
352.400.1.Asusedinthissection,thefollowingwordsandphrasesshallmean:
2 (1)"Abuse",anyphysicalinjury,sexualabuse,oremotionalabuse,injuryorharmto
3achildundercircumstancesrequiredtobereportedpursuanttosections210.109to210.183;
4 (2)"Child",anypersonregardlessofphysicalormentalcondition,undereighteen
5yearsofage;
6 (3)"Minister",anypersonwhilepracticingasaministerofthegospel,clergyperson,
7priest,rabbi,ChristianSciencepractitioner,orotherpersonservinginasimilarcapacityfor
8anyreligiousorganizationwhoisresponsiblefororwhohassupervisoryauthorityoverone
9whoisresponsibleforthecare,custody,andcontrolofachildorhasaccesstoachild;
EXPLANATION—Matterenclosedinbold-facedbrackets[thus] intheabovebillisnotenactedandis
intendedtobeomittedfromthelaw.Matterinbold-facetypeintheabovebillisproposedlanguage. 10 (4)"Neglect",failuretoprovidetheproperornecessarysupportorservicesbythose
11responsibleforthecare,custody,andcontrolofachild,undercircumstancesrequiredtobe
12reportedpursuanttosections210.109to210.183;
13 (5)"Religiousorganization",anysociety,sect,persuasion,mission,church,parish,
14congregation,temple,conventionorassociationofanyoftheforegoing,dioceseor
15presbytery,orotherorganization,whetherornotincorporated,thatmeetsatmoreorless
16regularintervalsforworshipofasupremebeingorhigherpower,orformutualsupportor
17edificationinpietyorwithrespecttotheideathataminimumstandardofbehaviorfromthe
18standpointofoverallmoralityistobeobserved,orforthesharingofcommonreligiousbonds
19andconvictions;
20 (6)"Report",thecommunicationofanallegationofabuseorneglectpursuantto
21sections210.109to210.183.
22 2.Whenaministeroragentdesignatedpursuanttosubsection3ofthissectionhas
23reasonablecausetosuspectthatachildhasbeenormaybesubjectedtoabuseorneglect
24undercircumstancesrequiredtobereportedpursuanttosections210.109to210.183,the
25ministerordesignatedagentshallimmediatelyreportorcauseareporttobemadeasprovided
26insections210.109to210.183.[Notwithstandinganyotherprovisionofthissectionor
27sections210.109to210.183,aministershallnotberequiredtoreportconcerningaprivileged
28communicationmadetohimorherinhisorherprofessionalcapacity.]
29 3.Areligiousorganizationmaydesignateanagentoragentsrequiredtoreport
30pursuanttosections210.109to210.183inanofficialcapacityonbehalfofthereligious
31organization.Intheeventaminister,officialorstaffmemberofareligiousorganizationhas
32probablecausetobelievethatthechildhasbeensubjectedtoabuseorneglectunder
33circumstancesrequiredtobereportedpursuanttosections210.109to213.183andthe
34minister,officialorstaffmemberofthereligiousorganizationdoesnotpersonallymakea
35reportpursuanttosections210.109to210.183,thedesignatedagentofthereligious
36organizationshallbenotified.Thedesignatedagentshallthenbecomeresponsiblefor
37makingorcausingthereporttobemadepursuanttosections210.109to210.183.This
38sectionshallnotprecludeanypersonfromreportingabuseorneglectasotherwiseprovided
39bylaw.
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