Missouri Senate

Senate Committee Substitute

Under current law, it is prohibited for a child who has been taken into the custody of the state or the jurisdiction of a juvenile court, to be reunited with a parent or be placed back in the home in which the parent or any person living in the home has been found guilty or plead guilty to certain sexual related offenses or offenses against the family when a child was the victim. This act adds pornography related offenses to the list of prohibited offenses. (Section 210.117.1 and 211.038.1)

This act provides that when the Children's Division is unable to obtain the necessary information for the purpose of child placement for children who have been taken into the custody of the state or the jurisdiction of a juvenile court, the Children's Division may obtain fingerprints for any person over the age of 17 in the household and for any child less than 17 years of age residing in the home who the Division has determined has been certified as an adult for the commission of a crime. The fingerprints shall be used by the Missouri State Highway Patrol to search the criminal history repository and shall be forwarded to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for searching the federal criminal history files. The Highway Patrol shall assist the Division and provide the criminal fingerprint background information, upon request. (Section 210.117.4 and 211.038.4)

Subject to appropriation, the total cost of fingerprinting required by this act may be paid by the state, including reimbursement of persons incurring fingerprinting costs under this act. (Section 210.117.5 and 211.038.5)

Current law sets out specifically that three sets of fingerprints during a background check for child placement shall be obtained and that one of each set shall be sent to the Highway Patrol, the FBI and one to be retained by the Division. This act removes the specific requirement to obtain three sets of fingerprints. (Section 210.482.2 and 3 and 210.487.1)

ADRIANE CROUSE