HB 1078 -- Juveniles

Sponsor:  Stevenson

Under current law, for purposes of Chapter 211, RSMo, Juvenile
Courts, "adult" is defined as a person 17 years of age or older;
and "child" is defined as a person under 17 years of age.  This
bill changes the age to 18 in both definitions.

The bill permits parents and guardians of students to opt into a
higher compulsory school age of 18.

The bill allows juvenile officers to initiate a criminal records
check including full orders of protection and outstanding
warrants and a check of the child abuse and neglect registry for
any individual over the age of 17 residing in a home in which a
child is placed on an emergency basis.

The bill also creates the crime of unlawful interference with
visitation.  A person commits the crime if he or she violates the
provisions of a court order relating to child custody by
detaining a child with the intent to deprive another person of
his or her right to visitation.  Unlawful interference with
visitation is an infraction.  A second or subsequent offense is a
class C misdemeanor.  The bill also specifies affirmative
defenses for the crime of unlawful interference with visitation.

Missouri House of Representatives
92nd General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated September 23, 2004 at 11:14 am