Bill > HB1512

This bill establishes and modifies provisions related to child protective custody and medical evaluations in child abuse or neglect cases. It allows police officers, law enforcement officials, or physicians to take a child into temporary protective custody without parental consent if they believe the child is in imminent danger of serious physical harm, with a requirement to notify juvenile authorities within twelve hours and file a written statement explaining the circumstances. The bill limits temporary protective custody to 24 hours and introduces a new provision allowing parents to provide medical proof of known conditions that might contradict abuse allegations. Additionally, the bill establishes a Sexual Assault Forensic Examination-Child Abuse Resource and Education (SAFE-CARE) network to provide specialized medical consultations during abuse investigations. The network will help identify medical conditions that might mimic child abuse symptoms, such as rickets, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and osteogenesis imperfecta. The bill also ensures that parents have the right to seek alternative medical opinions, obtain medical records, and be involved in the evaluation process, with provisions requiring transparency and allowing parents to object to or seek independent medical evaluations at their own expense.

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB1512&year=2025&code=R