FIRST REGULAR SESSION

HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

HOUSE BILL NO. 253

92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

                  Reported from the Committee on Judiciary February 27, 2003, with recommendation that the House Committee Substitute for House Bill No. 253 Do Pass by Consent.

                                                                                                                                                                         STEPHEN S. DAVIS, Chief Clerk

0049L.02C

AN ACT

To repeal section 455.030, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof one new section relating to orders of protection.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:

            Section A. Section 455.030, RSMo, is repealed and one new section enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as section 455.030, to read as follows:

            455.030. 1. When the court is unavailable after business hours or on holidays or weekends, a verified petition for protection from abuse or a motion for hearing on violation of any order of protection under sections 455.010 to 455.085 may be filed before any available court in the city or county having jurisdiction to hear the petition pursuant to the guidelines developed pursuant to subsection 4 of this section. An ex parte order may be granted pursuant to section 455.035.

            2. All papers in connection with the filing of a petition or the granting of an ex parte order of protection or a motion for a hearing on a violation of an order of protection under this section shall be certified by such court or the clerk within the next regular business day to the circuit court having jurisdiction to hear the petition.

            3. A petitioner seeking a protection order shall not be required to reveal any current address or place of residence except to the court in camera for the purpose of determining jurisdiction and venue. The petitioner may be required to provide a mailing address unless the petitioner alleges that he or she would be endangered by such disclosure, or that other family or household members would be endangered by such disclosure. Effective January 1, 2004, a petitioner shall not be required to provide his or her Social Security number on any petition or document filed in connection with a protection order; except that, the court may require that a petitioner's Social Security number be retained on a confidential case sheet or other confidential record maintained in conjunction with the administration of the case.

            4. The supreme court shall develop guidelines which ensure that a verified petition may be filed on holidays, evenings and weekends.