HCS HBs 1108 & 1181 -- PUBLIC SAFETY

SPONSOR: Hicks

COMMITTEE ACTION: Voted "Do Pass with HCS" by the Standing Committee on Judiciary by a vote of 10 to 1. Voted "Do Pass" by the Standing Committee on Rules- Legislative Oversight by a vote of 6 to 2 and one voting Present. Voted "Do Pass with HS" by the Standing Committee on Legislative Review by a Vote of 9 to 0.

Please see the Summary Sheet for a detailed list of the additional updated language in added to the House SubstituteHouse Committee Substitute.

The following is a summary of the public testimony from the committee hearing. The testimony was based on the introduced version of the bill.

PROPONENTS: Supporters say that this bill ensures further protections for children and the mentally disabled from the sex offenders who committed these offenses against them. The bill requires people who have committed offenses against these groups of victims, the vulnerable population, to be lifetime registrants on the sex offender registry. There is funding that is tied to Missouri's adherence to the federal guidelines, and we have to make sure Missouri stays within those guidelines. This bill ensures compliance and forward thinking in case the federal standards change. Adding offenses committed against adult incapacitated individuals is necessary because they often have the cognitive capacity of a child so we should treat the vulnerable people the same. From a public safety standpoint, the registry is there to protect the victims, so there should not be a distinction between a 16-year-old and a 12-year-old. Child sex cases are the worst possible, and the reality is that people who commit offenses against minors do not have a distinction between a child, which pertains to those under the age of 14, or a minor, which pertains to those under the age of 18. A minor is a minor. The biggest issue right now is the number of people that are not registering. They are out there still molesting children. It is a compulsion- type behavior, where these offenders cannot stop themselves and they need to be on the registry so they can be held accountable.

Testifying in person for the bill were Representative Hicks; Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys; and Missouri Office of Prosecution Services.

OPPONENTS: There was no opposition voiced to the committee. Written testimony has been submitted for this bill. The full written testimony and witnesses testifying online can be found under Testimony on the bill page on the House website.

Statutes affected:
Introduced (2147H.01): 589.401, 589.414
Committee (2147H.04): 37.725, 43.539, 43.540, 67.145, 70.631, 170.310, 190.091, 193.265, 195.817, 307.018, 307.175, 491.075, 492.304, 547.500, 550.125, 556.021, 558.031, 566.151, 567.030, 569.010, 569.100, 570.010, 570.030, 570.212, 575.205, 579.021, 579.022, 589.401, 589.403, 589.410, 589.414, 595.045, 610.021, 650.320, 650.340
Floor Substitute (2147H.07): 37.725, 43.400, 43.401, 43.539, 43.540, 57.280, 67.145, 70.631, 84.344, 160.660, 170.310, 190.091, 193.265, 195.817, 210.305, 210.565, 210.795, 211.071, 285.040, 307.018, 307.175, 320.210, 321.246, 488.435, 491.075, 492.304, 547.500, 550.125, 556.021, 557.520, 558.031, 565.003, 566.151, 567.030, 569.010, 569.100, 569.170, 569.175, 570.010, 570.030, 570.212, 571.020, 571.030, 571.031, 575.205, 579.021, 579.022, 579.041, 579.065, 579.068, 589.401, 589.403, 589.410, 589.414, 590.033, 590.040, 590.080, 595.045, 610.021, 650.320, 650.340
Perfected (2147H.07): 37.725, 43.400, 43.401, 43.539, 43.540, 57.280, 67.145, 70.631, 84.344, 160.660, 170.310, 190.091, 193.265, 195.817, 210.305, 210.565, 210.795, 211.071, 285.040, 307.018, 307.175, 320.210, 321.246, 488.435, 491.075, 492.304, 494.430, 547.500, 550.125, 556.021, 557.520, 558.031, 565.003, 566.151, 567.030, 569.010, 569.100, 569.170, 569.175, 570.010, 570.030, 571.020, 571.030, 571.031, 575.205, 579.021, 579.022, 579.041, 579.065, 579.068, 589.401, 589.403, 589.410, 589.414, 590.033, 590.040, 590.080, 595.045, 610.021, 650.320, 650.340


Senate Committee Minutes:
SENATE COMMITTEE MINUTES Bill No.: HS HCS HBs 1108 & 1181
Sponsor: Hicks
Hearing Date: 4/24/2023


COMMITTEE: Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence

CHAIRMAN: Luetkemeyer

DATE REFERRED: 4/20/2023 DATE HEARING REQUESTED:



STAFF:
Bradley Green
Cindy Kadlec
Katie O'Brien
Mary Grace Pringle


WITNESSES GIVING INFORMATION:



WITNESSES FOR:
David Klarich - Missouri Circuit Judges' Association
Darrell Moore - Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys; Missouri Office of Prosecution Services
Sarah Schlemeier - Quest Diagnostics
Susan Myers - Individual
Jessica Petrie - Missouri Kids First
Kendall Seal - The Center for Rights of Abused Children
Shawn Rhoads - Missouri Sheriffs United
Kaycee Nail - MO 911 Service Board, MO 911 Directors Assoc, MO National Emergency Number Assoc, MO Assoc
of Public Communication Officials
Alex Eaton - Justice Action Network
Katie Gamble - Fire Service Alliance
Collin Stosberg - Missouri State Highway Patrol


WITNESSES AGAINST:
Josh James - Individual
TJ Kirsch - Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Anne Grote - Individual
Vicky Henry - Women Against Registry