All Roll Calls
Yes: 547 • No: 34
MissouriHB7372025 Regular SessionHouseWALLET
Modifies provisions relating to the protection of children
Sponsored By: Melissa Schmidt (Republican)
Signed by Governor
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
13 provisions identified: 11 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.
New care for high-needs youth
Social Services must establish services, education, and residential care for youth with severe behavioral challenges. Youth must be under 21 and in Children's Division custody. A department team must find that existing state programs cannot meet their needs. The department can contract with qualified providers and use suitable state-owned facilities.
Bigger tax credit for youth donations
Missouri raises the tax credit for money donations to approved youth programs from 50% to 70%. Property donations still earn a 30% credit. The annual cap is $200,000 per taxpayer. Credits offset taxes due for the donation year, and unused amounts carry forward for five succeeding tax periods. Programs must be approved by the Department of Economic Development.
Clearer rights during child abuse checks
Children's Division responders must first check a child's safety through direct observation and communication. When a parent or alleged offender is present, workers must identify themselves and provide written visit rights. These include the right to contact an attorney and up to five minutes to review the information. During assessments, workers must notify parents before interviewing the child and provide written rights information. Written-material and review-time rules have exceptions for immediate child danger, threats to workers, and applicable home visits.
Parents gain protection for kids' independence
Parents and caregivers do not commit abuse or neglect solely by allowing suitable activities without adult supervision. Examples include walking or biking nearby, playing outside, or staying home for a reasonable time. Activities must fit the child's age, maturity, and physical and mental abilities. The protection does not cover grossly negligent lack of supervision that endangers the child's health or safety.
Stronger civil rights for abuse survivors
For actions arising on or after August 28, 2025, qualifying childhood sexual abuse includes specified trafficking offenses. The conduct must have occurred before age 18 and caused the injury or illness claimed. Survivors can sue within 10 years after turning 21 or three years after actual or reasonable discovery, whichever is later. A nondisclosure agreement by a party to a childhood sexual abuse case is unenforceable in court disputes involving those allegations or claims.
Teenagers gain their own court lawyers
Beginning January 1, 2028, judges must appoint separate lawyers for children ages 14–17 in covered proceedings, subject to appropriations. Counsel serves through appeals, receives relevant records, and can receive reasonable fees from appropriated judicial funds. In ongoing cases, the guardian ad litem generally becomes counsel at age 14 unless a statutory reason supports continuing that role. Earlier pilots permit counsel instead of a guardian ad litem for ages 14 and older; that authority expires January 1, 2028. Counsel cannot also represent the parent, must be invited to family support meetings, and must learn the child's placement wishes; those wishes do not override best interests or relative-placement preferences.
Benefit checks for children entering custody
Within 60 days of custody entry, the Children's Division must check for Railroad Retirement, Social Security, and veterans' benefits. It must apply when a child qualifies or may qualify. The Division must consult the child and guardian ad litem about who manages benefits, serving itself only without another suitable candidate. It must review annually whether someone else can take over in the child's best interests. With appropriated funding, Social Services can hire outside help to apply and establish accounts for children in custody or court-ordered supervision.
Stronger money protections for foster youth
The Children's Division cannot spend a child's account money on care or services, including foster-care maintenance. Railroad Retirement, Social Security, and veterans' benefits can cover only unmet needs beyond what the Division must or agrees to pay. Accounts must respect benefit asset limits and can use special-needs trusts, pooled trusts, ABLE accounts, or other qualifying trusts. Annual statements must list all receipts and spending for the child, guardian ad litem, and child's lawyer. These financial rules also cover youth in Division legal custody under chapter 211 with court jurisdiction granted under section 211.041.
Marriage access changes; minors cannot marry
For the specified marriage-license process, at least one applicant must live in the county or independent city where they apply. This changes the residency condition for access to that process. Missouri recorders cannot issue marriage licenses to anyone under 18. Parent or guardian consent no longer permits an underage applicant to receive a license.
Amber Alerts reach more missing youth
Missouri expands Amber Alerts to cover abducted children and abducted or missing African American youth whose whereabouts are unknown. Alerts also cover children or youth reasonably believed to be victims of the listed trafficking offenses whose whereabouts are unknown. Public Safety cannot discriminate when coordinating alerts with local law enforcement and broadcasters. Protected traits include race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, disability, and familial status.
Child endangerment law covers older teens
The law expands first-degree child endangerment to cover knowing sexual conduct with a child under 18, rather than under 17. The child must be the person's own child or otherwise under their care or custody as a responsible adult.
New support for family court lawyers
A nine-member judicial commission coordinates attorney standards, training, pilot reviews, funding studies, and recommendations for child and family representation. Members include at least three Missouri attorneys with five years of child-representation experience, one former Missouri foster youth, and one independent child advocate. The advocate must be a Missouri resident without a direct professional tie to the legal or child-welfare system. The commission administers a fund supported by appropriations, gifts, and other aid, with no dollar amount specified. Money can support judicial circuits and reasonable court-approved lawyer fees; unused balances stay in the fund after each two-year budget period.
Youth providers gain lawsuit protections
Qualified providers in the severe-behavioral-challenges program, their employees, and contractors gain protection from damages claims for good-faith contracted work without gross negligence. This limits claims by people harmed, but does not protect child abuse or neglect. Immunity ends if the state creates a personal-injury coverage fund or entity providing at least $1 million in coverage. That threshold adjusts annually using the personal consumption expenditures price deflator. Separately, Children's Division contracts cannot shift costs from the state's own negligence to service providers.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Melissa Schmidt
Republican • House
Cosponsors
Ann Kelley
Republican • House
Bill Allen
Republican • House
Bill Irwin
Republican • House
Brian Seitz
Republican • House
David Dolan
Republican • House
Deanna Self
Republican • House
Donna Barnes
Democratic • House
Ed Lewis
Republican • House
Josh Hurlbert
Republican • House
Matthew Overcast
Republican • House
Raychel Proudie
Democratic • House
Sean Pouche
Republican • House
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 4/29/2025
Truly Agreed To and Finally Passed
Yes: 32 • No: 1
Senate vote • 4/29/2025
Senate Adopts Conference Committee Report
Yes: 32 • No: 1
House vote • 4/24/2025
Third Read and Passed
Yes: 129 • No: 14 • Other: 1
House vote • 4/24/2025
House Adopts Conference Committee Report
Yes: 130 • No: 15 • Other: 1
House vote • 4/24/2025
Reported Do Pass
Yes: 6 • No: 2
House vote • 4/16/2025
Reported Do Pass
Yes: 7 • No: 0
Senate vote • 3/13/2025
Third Read and Passed with Amendments - SS as amended
Yes: 34 • No: 0
House vote • 2/13/2025
Reported Do Pass
Yes: 5 • No: 0
House vote • 2/13/2025
Third Read and Passed
Yes: 149 • No: 1
House vote • 2/6/2025
Reported Do Pass
Yes: 9 • No: 0
House vote • 1/29/2025
HCS Reported Do Pass
Yes: 14 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Delivered to Secretary of State (G)
7/9/2025HouseApproved by Governor (G)
7/9/2025HouseDelivered to Governor
5/30/2025HouseSigned by President Pro Tem
5/30/2025SenateSigned by House Speaker
5/29/2025HouseSenate Message
4/29/2025SenateTruly Agreed To and Finally Passed - AYES: 32 NOES: 1 PRESENT: 0
4/29/2025SenateSenate Adopts Conference Committee Report - AYES: 32 NOES: 1 PRESENT: 0
4/29/2025SenateSenate Submits Conference Committee Report
4/29/2025SenateConferees to Exceed Differences - Section 537.046
4/29/2025SenateHouse Message - CCS SS HCS HBs 737 & 486
4/28/2025HouseHouse Message - Conferees to Exceed Differences on Section 537.046
4/28/2025HouseThird Read and Passed - AYES: 129 NOES: 14 PRESENT: 1
4/24/2025HouseHouse Adopts Conference Committee Report - AYES: 130 NOES: 15 PRESENT: 1
4/24/2025HouseConferees to Exceed Differences - Section 537.046
4/24/2025HouseHouse Submits Conference Committee Report
4/24/2025HouseReported Do Pass - AYES: 6 NOES: 2 PRESENT: 0
4/24/2025HouseVoted Do Pass
4/24/2025HouseExecutive Session Completed
4/24/2025HouseReferred: Fiscal Review
4/23/2025HouseHouse Distributes Conference Committee Report
4/23/2025HouseSenate Message
4/17/2025SenateHouse Message
4/17/2025HouseSenate Conference Committee Appointed - SENATORS BURGER, CARTER, FITZWATER, MAY, MCCREERY
4/17/2025SenateHouse Conference Committee Appointed - REPRESENTATIVES SCHMIDT, JONES(88), HAUSMAN, FOGLE, JAMISON
4/17/2025House
Bill Text
Truly Agreed
4/29/2025
Perfected
2/11/2025
Committee Substitute
1/29/2025
Senate Substitute
1/29/2025
Introduced
1/8/2025
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