FIRSTREGULARSESSION
HOUSEBILLNO.573
103RDGENERALASSEMBLY
INTRODUCEDBYREPRESENTATIVEAMATO.
1013H.01I DANARADEMANMILLER,ChiefClerk
ANACT
Torepealsections211.455and211.459,RSMo,andtoenactinlieuthereoftwonewsections
relatingtoterminationofparentalrightsproceedings.
BeitenactedbytheGeneralAssemblyofthestateofMissouri,asfollows:
SectionA.Sections211.455and211.459,RSMo,arerepealedandtwonewsections
2enactedinlieuthereof,tobeknownassections211.455and211.459,toreadasfollows:
211.455.1.Within[thirty] sixtydaysafterthefilingofthepetition,the[juvenile
2officer]petitionershallmeetwiththecourtinordertodeterminethatallpartieshavebeen
3servedwithsummonsandtorequestthatthecourtordertheinvestigationandsocialstudy.
4 2.If,atthattime,allpartiesrequiredtobeservedwithsummonshavenotbeen
5served,thecourt,initsdiscretion,mayextendthetimeforserviceifthecourtfindsthat
6servicemaybeforthcomingandthatthebestinterestsofthechildwouldbeservedthereby.
7 3.Thecourtshallorderaninvestigationandsocialstudyexceptincasesfiledunder
8section211.444.Theinvestigationandsocialstudyshallbemadebythejuvenileofficer,the
9statechildren'sdivisionorapublicorprivateagencyauthorizedorlicensedtocarefor
10childrenoranyothercompetentperson,asdirectedbythecourt,andawrittenreportshallbe
11madetothecourttoaidthecourtindeterminingwhethertheterminationisinthebest
12interestsofthechild.Itshallincludesuchmattersastheparentalbackground,thefitnessand
13capacityoftheparenttodischargeparentalresponsibilities,thechild'shome,present
14adjustment,physical,emotionalandmentalcondition,andsuchotherfactsasarepertinentto
15thedetermination.Partiesandattorneysorguardiansadlitemorvolunteeradvocates
16representingthembeforethecourtshallhaveaccesstothewrittenreport.Allordered
17evaluationsandreportsshallbemadeavailabletothepartiesandattorneysorguardiansad
EXPLANATION—Matterenclosedinbold-facedbrackets[thus] intheabovebillisnotenactedandis
intendedtobeomittedfromthelaw.Matterinbold-facetypeintheabovebillisproposedlanguage. 18litemorvolunteeradvocatesrepresentingthembeforethecourtatleastfifteendayspriorto
19anydispositionalhearing.
211.459.1.Withinthirtydaysafterthe[juvenileofficer] petitionerandthecourt
2havemetpursuanttosection211.455,thecourtshallholdthedispositionalhearingwherethe
3juvenileofficerandanypersononwhomsummonsandthepetitionwereservedshallhave
4therightandpowertosubpoenawitnessesandpresentevidence.Thecourtmayrequireany
5andallinvestigatingdivisionpersonnelconnectedwiththeparticularcasetotestifywithout
6privilegeandsubjecttotherulesofcross-examination.Suchwitnessesshallreceiveas
7compensationthewitnessfeeandmileageprovidedincivilcases.
8 2.Stenographicnotesoranauthorizedrecordingofthehearingshallberequiredasin
9civilactionsinthecircuitcourt.
10 3.Anyperson,officialorinstitutionparticipatingingoodfaithinthemakingofa
11report,thetakingofphotographsorthemakingofradiologicalexaminationspursuantto
12sections210.110to210.165,ortheremovalorretentionofachildpursuanttosections
13210.110to210.165shallhaveimmunityfromallcivilliabilitywhichmightarisebyreasonof
14suchactions.Allsuchpersons,officialsandinstitutionsshallhavethesameimmunitywith
15respecttoparticipationinanyjudicialproceedingresultingfromareportmadepursuantto
16sections210.110to210.165.
17 4.Nolegallyrecognizedprivilegedcommunication,exceptthatbetweenpriest,
18minister,orrabbiandparishioner,andattorneyclient,shallconstitutegroundsforexcluding
19evidenceatanyproceedingfortheterminationofparentalrights.
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HB573 2