CCS SCS HCS HB 613 -- COURT PROCEDURES

This bill revises court procedures.  In its main provisions, the
bill:

(1)  Allows the State Highway Patrol to establish procedures for
receiving criminal history requests from courts and other
entities and allows those entities to pay for them by electronic
means (Section 43.530, RSMo);

(2)  Imposes a time limit on handing down Judicial Finance
Commission opinions (Section 50.640);

(3)  Repeals duplicate language moved to another chapter (Section
57.290);

(4)  Requires the Division of Family Services to notify only one
parent of an alleged abused child prior to interviewing the child
and prohibits the division from meeting with the child at the
child's school or child care facility (Section 210.145);

(5)  Requires in a dissolution of marriage proceeding that an
entry of appearance filed by the respondent be notarized (Section
452.311);

(6)  Deletes duplicate language requiring that income-withholding
orders be filed with circuit clerks in child support cases
(Section 454.505);

(7)  Provides that filing fees will not be assessed to
petitioners in actions seeking protective orders (Sections
455.027 and 455.504);

(8)  Eliminates, effective January 1, 2004, any requirement that
petitioners for protection orders provide their Social Security
numbers on petitions or case documents, although courts may
require petitioners to provide the number on confidential case
sheets (Section 455.030);

(9)  Modifies the types of case dispositions that must be
reported to the Missouri Uniform Law Enforcement System (Section
455.516);

(10)  Requires moneys received in connection with the preparation
of court transcripts to be deposited in the court administration
revolving fund (Section 476.058);

(11)  Amends the process for filling vacancies of any unexpired
term on the executive council of the judicial conference (Section
476.340);

(12)  Allows the fine collection center to accept littering
tickets (Section 476.385);

(13)  Modifies the annual report of the Judicial Finance
Commission to include separate information on all divisions of
the circuit court of each county, including the probate division
(Section 477.600);

(14)  Removes a duplicate requirement of notifying the Office of
State Courts Administrator when a circuit court chooses to modify
its law library surcharge (Section 488.426);

(15)  Allows moneys collected as court costs for the purpose of
maintaining a law library to be used for courtroom renovation and
technology enhancement in Butler and Ripley counties (Section
488.429);

(16)  Provides that judgments collected in juvenile proceedings
are payable to the family services and justice fund.  Surcharges
will not be assessed to petitioners in adult abuse cases, but may
be assessed against respondents (Section 488.2300);

(17)  Clarifies incorrect cross-references (Sections 488.4014 and
488.5320);

(18)  Corrects a provision regarding a surcharge assessed in
criminal cases for the Crime Victims' Compensation Fund.
Legislation in 2001 raised this surcharge from $5 to $7.50.  This
section, which also refers to the surcharge, was mistakenly
omitted from that bill (Section 488.5339);

(19)  Allows witnesses a fee of $25 per day plus mileage.  Under
current law, witness fees are determined by guidelines
promulgated by the Missouri Supreme Court (Section 491.280);

(20)  Requires, beginning July 1, 2004, that the names on the
master jury list be chosen from certain source lists.  The names
of potential jurors on the list are public record (Section
494.410);

(21)  Amends the statute on time computation in civil cases to
exactly match the corresponding Supreme Court rule (Section
506.060);

(22)  Allows for legislative continuances in court during special
and veto sessions and during interim committee assignments
(Section 510.120);

(23)  Prohibits administrative agencies from amending or
modifying judgments or decrees entered by courts of competent
jurisdiction (Section 511.350);

(24)  Makes grammatical and technical clarifications (Sections
511.510 and 512.180);

(25)  Changes from $8,000 to $15,000 the value of the exemption
of a homestead from attachment (Section 513.475);

(26)  Allows a party to a contested case with a state agency to
apply to a court for enforcement of a subpoena.  Current law
allows only the agency to seek court enforcement.  The bill also
allows the agency or any party to intervene in an enforcement
action (Section 536.077); and

(27)  Requires that names of grand jurors be chosen from the
master jury list instead of the old grand jury list (Section
540.021).

Missouri House of Representatives
Last Updated July 25, 2003 at 10:12 am