Bill > HB3184

This bill establishes new provisions related to adultery in Missouri law, defining it as voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and someone who is not their spouse. It allows individuals to file a civil lawsuit against a third party who knowingly engaged in adultery with their spouse and caused emotional, financial, or relational harm to the marriage, with a burden of proof requiring a preponderance of the evidence and allowing for damages including emotional distress, counseling costs, loss of consortium, financial losses, punitive damages for willful conduct, attorney fees, and injunctive relief to limit future contact. The bill also creates a criminal offense of adultery, classifying it as a misdemeanor for the first offense, a more serious misdemeanor for a second offense, and a felony for subsequent offenses, with similar admissible evidence and affirmative defenses related to legal separation or prior written agreements permitting non-exclusive relations, and allows for the sealing of records to protect privacy.

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB3184&year=2026&code=R